Caloptilia rufipennella (Hübner, 1796) Species
Last modified: April 14, 2022, 5:09 p.m.
A fairly common species throughout Belgium.
Details
- Classification
- Family: Gracillariidae > Subfamily: Gracillariinae > Tribus: Gracillariini > Genus: Caloptilia > Species: Caloptilia rufipennella
- Vernacular names
- Donkere esdoornsteltmot (NL), Small red slender (EN)
- 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 1060.
- Status
-
Native
Distribution
Imago
Forewings unicolourous ochreous to brownish with a purplish tinge in the apical area.
Museum specimens
No pictures yet!Specimens in nature
Genitalia
Caterpillar
Greenish with light green head.
Mine
At first a very inconspicuous mine parallel with a leaf vein, later widening into a small blotch. Later instars leave the mine and construct a cone by bending the leaf edge downwards into a cone. Three such cones succeed each other each one a little larger than the former one.
See also gracillariidae.net and bladmineerders.be.
Cocoon/pupa
Yellowish cocoon.
Bionomics
Pupation takes place in a yellowish cocoon at the underside of a leaf. The adults hibernate.
Flight periods
The adults fly in one generation per year: from early July, and after hibernation till May.
Observed on
- Host plant (species):
- Acer pseudoplatanus, Acer platanoides and Acer saccharinum
The caterpillar feeds mainly on Acer pseudoplatanus, but it has also been found occasionally on Acer platanoides and Acer saccharinum.
