Elachista stabilella [Lepidoptera: Elachistidae] in Leaf and stem mines of British flies and other insects

The leaf and stem mines of British flies and other insects

(Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera)

by Brian Pitkin, Willem Ellis, Colin Plant and Rob Edmunds

Elachista stabilella Stainton, 1858
[Lepidoptera: Elachistidae]

Southern Dwarf

Elachista stabilella Stainton, 1858. Trans. ent. Soc. Lond. n.s. 4: 303
Cosmiotes stabilella (Stainton, 1858).

Leaf-miner: Mines downwards from leaf tip to stem. Makes a long narrow yellowish mine. May be up to four larvae in one leaf (British leafminers).

Long narrow yellowish corridor, descending from the leaf tip to its base; at times 3-4 larvae in a leaf. Often several larvae in a communal mine. Pupation outside the mine (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).

Body yellowish; head and prothoracic shield pale brown; prothoracic shield divided (Bladmineerders van Europa).

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. The species is included in mothdissection.co.uk.

Comments: Festuca arundinacea is treated as Schedonorus arundinacea (Tall Fescue) by Stace (2010).

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Cyperaceae
Carex			Bland, 1996a
Poaceae
Agrostis			British leafminers
Brachypodium	pinnatum	Heath False-brome	British leafminers
Deschampsia	cespitosa	Tufted Hair-grass	British leafminers
Festuca	arundinacea	Tall Fescue	British leafminers

Hosts elsewhere:

Poaceae
Agrostis			Bladmineerders van Europa
Avena	fatua	Wild-oat	Bladmineerders van Europa
Brachypodium	pinnatum	Perennial Tor-grass	Bladmineerders van Europa
Brachypodium	sylvaticum	False Brome	Bladmineerders van Europa
Calamagrostis			Bladmineerders van Europa
Deschampsia	cespitosa	Tufted Hair-grass	Bladmineerders van Europa
Festuca	arundinacea	Tall Fescue	Bladmineerders van Europa
Milium	effusum	Wood Millet	Bladmineerders van Europa
Poa	badensis		Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - larvae: February-May; June-July (British leafminers).

Time of year - adults: There are two generations with flight periods in May and June and again from July to August (UKMoths).

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Distributed mainly in southern England and south Wales (UKMoths) including Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Cambridgeshire, Carmarthenshire, Dorset, East Suffolk, Glamorgan, Huntingdonshire, Isle of Wight, North Essex, North Somerset and South Devon (NBN Atlas).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Czech Republic, Danish mainland, Germany, Hungary, Norwegian mainland, Poland, Portuguese mainland, Romania, Slovakia, Spanish mainland, Sweden, Switzerland and The Netherlands (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Avena fatua, Brachypodium pinnatum, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Deschampsia cespitosa, Festuca arundinacea (= Schedonorus arundinacea), Milium effusum

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: Currently unknown.


External links:	Search the internet:
Belgian Lepidoptera Biodiversity Heritage Library Bladmineerders van Europa British leafminers, as Cosmiotes stabilella Encyclopedia of Life Fauna Europaea NBN Atlas NHM UK Checklist, as Cosmiotes stabilella UKMoths	Find using Google Find using Google Scholar Find images using Google


	Last updated 18-Oct-2019 Brian Pitkin