Phyllonorycter tenerella (Joannis, 1915)
[Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae]


Lithocolletis tenerella Joannis, 1915.
Lithocolletis tenella
Zeller, 1846. Linn. Ent. 1: 236, t. 1 fig. 30.
Phyllonorycter tenerella
(Joannis, 1915).


Leaf-mine: A mine between veins from midrib to leaf-edge, narrow, tubular, with one crease in lower epidermis (British leafminers).

Narrow, finally tubular lower-surface mine between two side veins. The lower epidermis with one strong fold. Pupa in a flimsy cocoon in a corner of the mine, usually in the axil of midrib and side vein. Frass loosely heaped in the opposite corner (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Larva: Details unknown.

Pupa: The pupa and cremaster are illustrated in British leafminers and Bladmineerders van Europa.

Adult: The adult is illustrated in UKMoths by Rob Edmunds. The genitalia are not illustrated by the Lepidoptera Dissection Group (check of update).

Hosts in Britain:

Betulaceae      
Carpinus     British leafminers
Carpinus     UKMoths
Carpinus betulus Hornbeam Pitkin and Plant

Hosts elsewhere:

Betulaceae      
Carpinus betulus Hornbeam Bladmineerders van Europa
Ostrya carpinifolia   Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - larvae: June - July, September - October (British leafminers).

Time of year - adults: Two generations, flying in May then again during July and August (UKMoths).

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Mainly in the south-east of England (UKMoths) including Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Denbighshire, East Kent, East Norfolk, East Suffolk, Glamorgan, Middlesex, North Essex, Surrey, West Kent, West Norfolk and West Suffolk (NBN Gateway - N.B. includes Watsonian Vice Counties having publicly available records that fall within or overlap the vice county border at 10km resolution or better i.e. a record for a vice county may relate to an adjacent vice county - for included datasets see NBN Grid map below). See also British leafminers distribution map. Occasionally found elsewhere, probably as an introduction with the foodplant (UKMoths).

NBN Grid map: Note that not all datasets on the NBN Gateway may be available on the map below. If you are an NBN Gateway registered user you can request access for missing datasets via the link 'Open interactive map in new window' below.

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Danish mainland, French mainland, Germany, Hungary, Italian mainland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Russia - Central, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands and Ukraine (Karsholt and van Nieukerken in Fauna Europaea).

NBN interactive distribution map(s) of known host species in Great Britain and Ireland and elsewhere:

Carpinus betulus, Ostrya carpinifolia

Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere:

Cirrospilus vittatus Walker, 1838 Hymenoptera: Eulophidae
Closterocerus trifasciatus Westwood, 1833 Hymenoptera: Eulophidae


External links: Search the internet:
Belgian Lepidoptera
Biodiversity Heritage Library
Bladmineerders van Europa
British leafminers
Encyclopedia of Life
Fauna Europaea
NBN Gateway
UKMoths
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Last updated 25-Jan-2012  Brian Pitkin Top of page