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

 

Heliozela sericiella (Haworth, 1828)
[Lepidoptera: Heliozelidae]

Oak Satin Lift


Tinea sericiella Haworth, 1828. Lep. Brit.: 585.
Aechmia saltatricella
Fischer von Röslerstamm, 1841. Microlep.: 249, pl. 43 fig. 3.
Aechmia stanneella
Fischer von Röslerstamm, 1841
Heliozela sericiella
(Haworth, 1828).


Gall-former: A gall in petiole or midrib leads to an oval blotch then cut-out at base of leaf (British leafminers).

The larva bores in the petiole, or even in the bark of a twig. Its activity causes the petiole to swell gall-like. When almost full grown the larva moves through the midrib a short distance into the blade. Here a small blotch is made, from which an oval excision is cut, of c. 2-3 x 4-5 mm. Thus sandwiched it drops to the ground and pupates, awaiting hibernation (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).

The biology and morphology of all stages are extensively discussed by Prota (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 not illustrated in UKMoths (check for update). The species is included in mothdissection.co.uk.

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Fagaceae        
Quercus       British leafminers
Quercus ilex Evergreen Oak British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant
Quercus petraea Sessile Oak British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant
Quercus robur Pedunculate Oak British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant

Hosts elsewhere:

Fagaceae        
Quercus       Belgian Lepidoptera
Quercus petraea Sessile Oak British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Quercus pubescens Downy Oak   Bladmineerders van Europa
Quercus robur Pedunculate Oak British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Quercus suber Cork Oak British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa

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

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Britain including Anglesey, Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Breconshire, Caernarvonshire, Cambridgeshire, Carmarthenshire, Denbighshire, Dorset, Dumfriesshire, Dunbartonshire, Durham, East Cornwall, East Norfolk, East Ross, East Suffolk, East Sutherland, Flintshire, Glamorgan, Haddington, Hertforshire, Hutingdonshire, Isle of Wight, Kincardineshire, Merionethshire, Middlesex, North Devon, North Ebudes, North Hampshire, North Somerset, Northamptonshire, North Northumberland, Nottinghamshire, Shropshire, South Northumberland, South Wiltshire, South-west Yorkshire, Stafford, Stirlingshire, Surrey, Warwickshire, West Cornwall, West Gloucestershire, West Norfolk, West Ross, West Suffolk, Westmorland and Worcestershire (NBN Atlas).

See also British leafminers distribution map.

Also recorded in the Republic of Ireland (Fauna Europaea and National Biodiversity Data Centre Map).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Corsica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Danish mainland, Estonia, Finland, French mainland, Germany, Hungary, Italian mainland, Kaliningrad Region, Latvia, Lithuania, Norwegian mainland, Poland, Portuguese mainland, Romania, Russia - North and Northwest, Sicily, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands and Ukraine (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Quercus ilex, Quercus petraea, Quercus pubescens, Quercus robur, Quercus suber

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
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Last updated 18-Oct-2019  Brian Pitkin Top of page