Aristotelia ericinella (Zeller, 1839) Species
Last modified: Feb. 26, 2024, 6:02 p.m.
Fairly common in the Kempen area, especially in heathland habitats, elsewhere in Belgium a rather rare appearance.
Details
- Classification
- Family: Gelechiidae > Subfamily: Anomologinae > Genus: Aristotelia > Species: Aristotelia ericinella
- Vernacular names
- Heidepistoolmot (NL), Heather Neb, Heath Elder (EN), Heidekraut-Palpenmotte (DE)
- 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 137.
- Status
-
Native
Distribution
Imago
Wingspan 11–13 mm.
Museum specimens
No pictures yet!Specimens in nature
Caterpillar
Head and prothoracic plate pale brown with blackish markings; abdomen blackish with yellow dorsal, sub-dorsal and spiracular lines, sometimes rosy tinged; anal plate whitish; pinacula white with black centre (Gregersen & Karsholt 2022).
Bionomics
The larva lives in a silken tube amongst the shoots and among twigs on the food plant. The larvae easily drop upon disturbance. Pupation in a loose cocoon on the foodplant.
The butterflies are easy to hunt during the day when they rest among the heathland vegetation. They are often active during the day in warm weather and later come to light.
Flight periods
The adults have been seen from early June towards mid-September with most observations during July.
Observed on
- Host plant (genera):
- Calluna
The larva lives on Calluna vulgaris, Erica cinerea, Erica tetralix and *Empetrum nigrum.
Habitat
This heatland species is associated with sandy soils inland and in the dunes on heathland areas, also in peat bogs.
