Leaf-miner
and case-bearer: The larva feeds in a distinctive case made from hairy leaf fragments
of the foodplant (UKMoths).
The
young larva feeds on the developing seeds and hibernates in its
first case which is made of the tip of a petal. After hibernation
it makes a hoary, laterally flattened composite leaf case (resembling
a willow catkin). Full depth mines are made at the margin of the
leaves, that thereby look peculiarly damaged. Mouth angle 70°
(Bladmineerders van Europa).
Initially
forms a blotch mine, in the centre of a leaf, which it excises for
its initial case. In the spring it repeatedly extends its case and
it resembles a jagged catkin of willow (British
leafminers).
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).
Head and plates black. Body dull yellowish white; prothoracic plate
large with median sulcus; mesothoracic plate consisting of four
sclerites, the anterior pair dot-like and widely separared, the
posterior pair subrtriangular and closely approximated; metathorax
with two small, well-separated dorsal sclerites; thoracic segments
with small lateral sclerites; an anal plate; four pairs of abdominal
prolegs (Emmet et al., 1996a).
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 Keith Tailby.
The species is included in mothdissection.co.uk.
Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:
Hosts
elsewhere:
Time
of year - larvae:
Larvae are full-grown in end May - early June (Bladmineerders van Europa).
Time
of year - adults: Adults are on the wing in June and July (UKMoths).
Distribution
in Great Britain and Ireland: An inhabitant of shingle beaches
and dry chalky habitats, the recent known distribution of this species
is in south-east England and East Anglia, with scattered records
elsewhere (UKMoths)
including Dorset, East Kent, East Norfolk, East Suffolk, East Sussex,
North Somerset, West Norfolk and West Suffolk (NBN
Atlas).
Found
in dry sandy or calacareous soils or on shingle beaches in the UK
(British
leafminers).
Distribution
elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Austria,
Belgium, Bulgaria, Crete, Croatia, Czech Republic, Danish mainland,
French mainland, Germany, Hungary, Italian mainland, Latvia, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Macedonia, Poland, Portuguese mainland, Romania, Russia
- South, Sicily, Slovakia, Spanish mainland, Sweden, Switzerland
and The Netherlands. Also recorded in Near East and North Africa
(Fauna Europaea).
NBN Atlas links to known host species:
British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:
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