Coleophora serratella (Linnaeus, 1761) Species
Last modified: Dec. 14, 2024, 8 a.m.
A fairly common species throughout Belgium, although often confused with other greyish species!
Details
- Classification
- Family: Coleophoridae > Genus: Coleophora > Species: Coleophora serratella
- Vernacular names
- Bruingrijze kokermot (NL), Common case-bearer (EN), Porte case fusele du pommier (FR), Birken-Sackmotte (DE)
- Synonyms
- Coleophora fuscedinella Zeller, 1849
- 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 143 (as C.[oleophora] Fuscedinella. Zell.). view page
- Status
-
Native
Distribution
Imago
Wingspan 10,5 –14 mm.
The forewings are ochreous brown to dark greyish.
The antennae are ringed alternately: distinct in the first half, not obvious in the second half. Seldom they are not ringed at all.
Museum specimens
Specimens in nature
Genitalia
Case
The strongly curved youth case is a “composite leaf case”, the adult case is a “tubular leaf case”. The adult case is trivalved, about 7 mm in length, and the mouth angle is 30°. The case is straw colored and almost always has a toothed dorsal keel (remnant of the margin of the leaf from which the case was cut).
See also bladmineerders.be.
Bionomics
The egg is deposited at the underside of the leaf.
The larvae start feeding in September and continue till the end of October. They hibernate in their case, and resume feeding in April. After some weeks they exchange their youth case for the definite one, and continue feeding till early June.
Flight periods
The adults fly from late May till the end of July.
Observed on
- Host plant (species):
- Alnus glutinosa and Corylus avellana
- Host plant (genera):
- Betula and Ulmus
- Substrates:
- Deciduous trees and Polyphagous
This species is very polyphagous on woody plants. They prefer mostly Betula or Alnus, but also many others.
