Eriocrania cicatricella (Zetterstedt, 1839) Species
Last modified: Dec. 11, 2023, 9:54 a.m.
This species in not so common in Belgium but is probably often overlooked.
Details
- Classification
- Family: Eriocraniidae > Genus: Eriocrania > Species: Eriocrania cicatricella
- Vernacular names
- Roze purpermot (NL), Washed Purple (EN), Goldgelbe Birken-Trugmotte (DE)
- Synonyms
- Eriocrania purpurella (Haworth, 1828), nec (Coquebert, 1801) and Eriocrania haworthi Bradley, 1966
- First mention in Belgium
- De Crombrugghe G. 1902b. Note sur quelques Microlépidoptères de la faune belge. — Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique 46: 481–483. On page 482 (as Eriocrania purpurella Hw.). view page
- Status
-
Native
Distribution
Imago
Wingspan: 11 mm.
Museum specimens
Specimens in nature
No pictures yet!Caterpillar
The larva is largely transparent.
Mine
This species constructs a blotch mine that starts near a leaf margin. Often there are several caterpillars per leaf, each one starting its own mine but these soon merge into one large mine that can cover a complete leaf.
See also bladmineerders.be
Cocoon/pupa
Pupation takes place in a hard silk cocoon.
Bionomics
The eggs are deposited in the leaf-buds. The larva lives in a blotch mine in Betula-leaves that starts near the leaf margin. Often there are a few caterpillars per leaf and each one starts its own mine but these soon merge into one large mine that can cover a complete leaf. Mature larvae leave their mines and pupate in the ground in a hard silk cocoon. The adults can be observed resting on trees or flying around trees in sunshine. They occasionally come to light.
Flight periods
The adults fly in April and early May.
Observed on
- Host plant (genera):
- Betula
The larvae feed monophagously on Betula spp.
