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Eriocrania semipurpurella (Stephens, 1835) [Lepidoptera: Eriocraniidae]. Lampronia semipurpurella Stephens, 1835. Ill. Brit. Ent. 4: 359. Eriocrania semipurpurella (Stephens, 1835).

Leaf-mine: The larva mines in a birch leaf, forming a large blotch (UKMoths) starting at or near the leaf edge and then widens into a blotch (British leafminers). Oviposition a few mm from the leaf margin; here begins a corridor of some mm, filled with granular frass. This corridor suddenly widens into a large full depth white bloth, with frass in long threads. The blotch remains adjacent to the leaf margin, and often engulfs the initial corridor. Almost always one larva in the mine (unless by coalescence of two mines). Pupation external. Older mines wither and desintegrate, and cannot be found later in the summer (Bladmineerders van Europa). Mine of Eriocrania semipurpurella on Betula pubescens Image: Willem Ellis (Bladmineerders van Europa) Larva: The larvae are white or yellowish (UKMoths) and is illustrated in Bladmineerders van Europa. Pupa: Details unknown. Adult: The adult is illustrated in UKMoths. The male genitalia, but not the female genitalia (check for update), are illustrated by the Lepidoptera Dissection Group. Hosts in Britain: Betulaceae       Betula     UKMoths Hosts elsewhere: Betulaceae       Betula pendula Silver Birch   Betula pubescens Downy Birch Bladmineerders van Europa Time of year - larvae: April - May (British leafminers). Time of year - adults: The adults fly in March and April, especially in sunshine (UKMoths). Distribution in Great Britain & Ireland: The commonest and most widespread of the Eriocrania species that feed on birch, occurring throughout most of Britain (UKMoths) including Banff, Chester, East Kent, East Sutherland, Elgin, Fife, Kincardine, North Aberdeen, North Hants, South Aberdeen, South Lancaster, Surrey, Warwick, Westmorland and Worcester (NBN Gateway distribution map - BRERC, GiGL,HBRG, NE, NESBRC, SNH and SHWRG). See also British leafminers distribution map. Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland (Karsholt & van Nieukerken in Fauna Europaea). NBN Grid map: Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in Europe including Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Czech Republic, Danish mainland, Estonia, Finland, French mainland, Germany, Greek mainland, Hungary, Italian mainland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norwegian mainland, Poland, Romania, Russia - Central, North and South, Slovakia, Spanish mainland, Sweden, Switzerland and The Netherlands (Karsholt & van Nieukerken in Fauna Europaea). NBN interactive distribution maps of known host species in Britain and elsewhere: Betula pendula, Betula pubescens Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: Cirrospilus lyncus Walker, 1841 Hymenoptera: Eulophidae Closterocerus trifasciatus Westwood, 1833 Hymenoptera: Eulophidae

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Belgian Lepidoptera British leafminers NBN Gateway Bladmineerders van Europa Fauna Europaea UKMoths	Find using Google Find using Google Scholar Find images using Google

Last updated 25-Aug-2010  Brian Pitkin