Phyllonorycter tenerella (de Joannis, 1915) Species
Last modified: Dec. 12, 2023, 4:10 p.m.
A widespread and locally common species in Belgium.
Details
- Classification
- Family: Gracillariidae > Subfamily: Lithocolletinae > Genus: Phyllonorycter > Species: Phyllonorycter tenerella
- Vernacular names
- Haagbeukvouwmot (NL), Hornbeam midget (EN)
- Synonyms
- Phyllonorycter tenella (Zeller, 1846), nec (Duponchel, 1843)
- First mention in Belgium
- De Fré Ch. 1858. Catalogue des Microlépidoptères de la Belgique. — Annales de la Société entomologique belge 2: 45–162. On page 155 (as L.[ithocolletis] Tenella. Zell.). view page
- Status
-
Native
Distribution
Imago
Head white; forewing ground colour faintly golden ochreous; white pattern consisting of a broad and long basal streak, reaching till beyond the middle of the wing; four costal and two dorsal striae, finely edged with ochreous or brown scales basally; a small patch of black scales in the apical area.
Museum specimens
No pictures yet!Specimens in nature
No pictures yet!Mine
A narrow, elongated, tentiform mine on the underside of a leaf, situated between two secondary veins; one strong, central longitudinal fold, greenish in the earlies stages, brown later on. The last instar applies so much spinning that the mine is contorted into a tube. The dark frass is concentrated either in a corner of the mine or at its sides.
See also gracillariidae.net and bladmineerders.be.
Cocoon/pupa
Not a real cocoon, but some flimsy spinning, most of the time close to the main vein.
Bionomics
The species hibernates in the pupal stage, between leaf litter on the ground. After emergence of the adult, the pupal skin protrudes through the mine.
Flight periods
Two generations a year: May and July–August.
Observed on
- Host plant (species):
- Carpinus betulus
The species is monophagous on Carpinus betulus. It has, however, also been recorded from Ostrya carpinifolia which is sometimes planted in gardens and parks as an ornamental plant.
Habitat
Parks, forest edges.
