Last modified: Nov. 30, 2022, 10:59 a.m.
A very rare and local species in Belgium. Hitherto, it is only found at the coast where it can be abundant at suitable places and recently (2020) in LI and (2022) in OV and LG.
Native
A light brown moth with a lot of dark speckles. The wingspan is 13–16 mm. The antennae are ringed with alternating white and light brown segments.
The caterpillar is greenish with some dark spots on the thoracic segments and the last abdominal segment.
The silken case is about 10 mm long, trivalved, tubular and with a mouth angle of 0°–10°.
See also bladmineerders.be.
The egg is oviposited during summer on the foodplant. The caterpillar spins a case within it lives, feeds and pupates. The larva leaves the foodplant by the end of August, overwinters in leaf litter at ground level and pupates there in springtime.
The moths are on the wing from the end of May till the beginning of August.
Atriplex littoralis is the most often infested host plant, but also species of Atriplex, Beta, Chenopodium, Halimione and Suaeda are used.
This species is mainly found at the coast where the foodplants are most common.