Caloptilia azaleella (Brants, 1913) Species
Last modified: May 4, 2024, 6:52 p.m.
A rare species in Belgium, mainly in azalea nurseries and parks with Rhododendron.
Details
- Classification
- Family: Gracillariidae > Subfamily: Gracillariinae > Tribus: Gracillariini > Genus: Caloptilia > Species: Caloptilia azaleella
- Vernacular names
- Azaleasteltmot (NL), Azalea leaf-miner (EN), Azaleen-Miniermotte (DE)
- First mention in Belgium
- Lhomme L. 1946–1963. Catalogue des Lépidoptères de France et de Belgique. Volume II Microlépidoptères. (deuxième partie). — — : 489–1253. On page 1061.
- Status
-
Native
Distribution
Imago
Forewing brownish grey with a rather long ochreous patch along the costa. Rests in typical Caloptilia-position with the frontal part raised from the substrate.
Museum specimens
No pictures yet!Specimens in nature
Caterpillar
First instars green, later on turning more yellowish.
Mine
Underside, brownish blotch mine. Later on a cone by spinning a leaf tip downwards. The cone colours from green to reddish brown.
See also gracillariidae.net and bladmineerders.be.
Cocoon/pupa
A whitish, transparant cocoon.
Bionomics
The young larvae make a gallery in the lower epidermis of a leaf of Rhododendron simsii, R. indicum, etc. This gallery leads to a blotch contorting the leaf. Later, the larva constructs a cone by rolling a leaf downwards from the tip.
Pupation on the underside of the leaf, where the larva first spins a whitish, transparant cocoon which is actually just a membrane. The pupa hibernates and after emergence of the adult the exuvium protrudes from the mine. The adults come to light.
Flight periods
The adults fly in two generations a year: in May and in July–August. In mild seasons there is a small third generation during September–October.
Observed on
- Host plant (species):
- Rhododendron indicum, Rhododendron decandrum and Rhododendron dilatatum
- Host plant (genera):
- Rhododendron
Oligophagous on Rhododenron.
