Coleophora pennella (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) Species
Last modified: Dec. 9, 2024, 5:19 p.m.
A very rare species in Belgium, mainly occurring on dry calcareous or sandy soils.
Details
- Classification
- Family: Coleophoridae > Genus: Coleophora > Species: Coleophora pennella
- Vernacular names
- Haartjeskokermot (NL), Bugloss case-bearer (EN), Natternkopf-Sackmotte (DE)
- Synonyms
- Coleophora onosmella (Brahm, 1791) and Coleophora struthionipennella (Hübner, 1796)
- First mention in Belgium
- De Sélys-Longchamps E. 1844. Énumération des insectes Lépidoptères de la Belgique. — Mémoires de la Société royale des Sciences de Liége 2: 1–35. On page 25 (as Ornix struthionipennella Wv.). view page
- Status
-
Native
Distribution
Imago
Wingspan 15,5–21 mm, therefore this species is one of the bigger Coleophoridae in Belgium.
The forewings look like to be totally white, due to so many white length lines on an ochreous underground.
,
Museum specimens
Specimens in nature
Case
The case looks like a willow catkin, because of the use of so many different host plants, the case can look very different.
The mouth angle is 70°.
Bionomics
The young larva feeds on the developing seeds and hibernates in its first case which is made of the tip of a petal. After the winter the larva makes a composite case resembling a willow catkin.
The larvae live mostly at the tip of a leaf or the fleck mines are made at the margin of the leaves, which thereby look peculiarly damaged.
Larvae are full grown in mid-May – early June.
Before pupating the larvae may wander around a lot, so they can be found at many different
plants being not their feeding plant.
The adults come to light.
See also bladmineerders.
be.
Flight periods
The adults fly in one generation a year from late May till July.
Observed on
- Host plant (species):
- Echium vulgare
- Host plant (genera):
- Anchusa, Echium, Cynoglossum, Lithospermum, Myosotis, Pulmonaria, Hieracium, Lycopus, Nepeta, Origanum, Stachys and Verbascum
- Substrates:
- Herbaceous plants
The larva lives mainly on Anchusa officinalis or Echium vulgare but also on a lot of other plants.
Habitat
Calcareous and sandy arias.
