Digitivalva perlepidella [Lepidoptera: Acrolepiidae] 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

Digitivalva perlepidella (Stainton, 1849)
[Lepidoptera: Acrolepiidae]

Spikenard Smudge

Roeslerstammia perlepidella Stainton, 1849. Cat. Brit. Tin.: 19.
Roeslerstammia fulviceps Wocke, 1850. Zeitschr. Ent. Ver. Ins. Breal: t. 5 fig. 19.
Roeslerstammia ruficeps Herrich-Schäffer, 1853. Schmett. Europ.: 5, fig. 643
Digitivalva perlepidella (Stainton, 1849).

Leaf-miner: Mines the lower leaves, making them hollow. The mine is along the midrib and broadens into a blotch (British leafminers).

One or several broad corridors, radiating from the leaf base, often along the midrib, towards the leaf tip widening into a roundish blotch, not containng any frass. The larva, that seems to feed only at night, retreats during feeding pauses in the leaf base and is invisible then. Often two larvae in a mine. Pupation in a little separate mine (pupal chamber) (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).

Pale yellow to greenish, head pale brown (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:

Asteraceae
Inula	conyzae	Ploughman's-spikenard	British leafminers
Inula	conyzae	Ploughman's-spikenard	Pitkin & Plant

Hosts elsewhere:

Asteraceae
Inula	conyzae	Ploughman's-spikenard		Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - larvae: April-May (British leafminers).

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Britain including East Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Middlesex, North Hampshire, North Wiltshire, South Essex, West Gloucestershire and West Sussex (NBN Atlas).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, French mainland, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Switzerland (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Inula conyzae

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 26-Jun-2019 Brian Pitkin