Leaf-miner
and case-bearer: The larva initially forms a gallery along the
midrib, which then goes out along a vein. The end of this gallery
is then excised to construct the first case. It then feeds close
to this and makes several small mines (British
leafminers).
The
final case is a small, laterally compressed, squat, spatulate leaf
case of 5-6 mm. The dorsal keel has some serrations, remnants of
the leaf margin out of which the case was cut. The rear is twovalved,
and remarkably broad. The mouth angle is 0-10°.
The
description and illustration of the final case in Emmet et al. (1996a)
is not quite clear. They depict a rather slender case, and state
that the mouth angle is 30°. But, as the only illustration in
the other literature that would agree with the British badiipennella,
they refer to Hering (1957a, fig. 701): this illustration, however,
has no resemblance to their own figure, and has a mouth angle of
c. 0°.
Emmet
et al. write that the larva begins its life by making a gallery
of 10-15 mm that runs from the midrib along a side vein; out if
this mine the first youth case is excised (Bladmineerders van Europa).
Larva: The larvae of moths have a head capsule and chewing mouthparts with opposable mandibles (see video of a gracillarid larva feeding), six thoracic legs and abdominal legs (see examples).
Pupa: The pupae of moths have visible head appendages, wings and legs which lie in sheaths (see examples).
Adult:
The adult is illustrated in UKMoths by Nigel Whinney.
The species is included in mothdissection.co.uk.
Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:
Hosts
elsewhere:
Time
of year - larvae: September - May (British
leafminers).
Time
of year - adults: The adults fly in June and July and occasionally
come to light.
Distribution
in Great Britain and Ireland: Locally distributed throughout
much of England (UKMoths)
including Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Dorset, East Kent, East Norfolk, East Suffolk, Hertfordshire, Huntingdonshire, Isle of Wight, North Essex, North Somerset,
Stafford, West Norfolk and West Suffolk (NBN
Atlas)
and the Channel Is. (Fauna Europaea). It occurs around the edges of woodland and prefers
saplings to mature trees (UKMoths).
Distribution
elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Austria,
Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Danish mainland, Estonia,
Finland, Germany, Greek mainland, Hungary, Italian mainland, Latvia,
Norwegian mainland, Poland, Portuguese mainland, Romania, Russia
- South, Slovakia, Spanish mainland, Sweden, Switzerland and The
Netherlands (Fauna Europaea).
NBN Atlas links to known host species:
British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: Currently unknown.
|