Epermenia insecurella [Lepidoptera: Epermeniidae] 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

Epermenia insecurella (Stainton, 1854)
[Lepidoptera: Epermeniidae]

Chalk-hill Lance-wing

Elachista insecurella Stainton, 1854. Cat. Brit. Tin.: 24.
Elachista dentosella Stainton, 1851
Epermenia plumbeella Rebel, 1915. Iris 29: 198.
Epermenia insecurella (Stainton, 1854).

Leaf-miner: Small, full depth, irregular corridor mine. Older larvae live free on the plant (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).

Yellow; head and anal shield shining black, prothoracic shield yellow with a darker outer margin (Hering, 1962a) (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.

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Santalaceae
Thesium	humifusum	Bastard-toadflax		Pitkin & Plant

Hosts elsewhere:

Santalaceae
Thesium	humifusum	Bastard-toadflax		Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - larvae: Currently unknown.

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Britain including Dorset, East Sussex, Flintshire, Hertfordshire, Isle of Wight, North Somerset and South Devon (NBN Atlas).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, French mainland, Germany, Hungary, Italian mainland, Lithuania, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia - Central and South, Slovakia, Spanish mainland, Switzerland, Ukraine and Yugoslavia (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Thesium humifusum

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 Encyclopedia of Life Fauna Europaea NBN Atlas NHM UK Checklist UKMoths	Find using Google Find using Google Scholar Find images using Google


	Last updated 18-Oct-2019 Brian Pitkin