Eriocrania semipurpurella (Stephens, 1835) Species
Last modified: Dec. 9, 2023, 4:20 p.m.
A common species throughout Belgium.
Details
- Classification
- Family: Eriocraniidae > Genus: Eriocrania > Species: Eriocrania semipurpurella
- Vernacular names
- Variabele purpermot (NL), Early Purple (EN)
- Synonyms
- Eriocrania amentella (Zeller, 1850)
- 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 115 (as M.[icropteryx] Amentella. Zell.; H.S.). view page
- Status
-
Native
Distribution
Imago
Wingspan: 10–16 mm.
Eriocrania semipurpurella and Eriocrania sangii are very similar and are difficult to distinguish from each other, genitalization is necessary to achieve species ID.
Museum specimens
Specimens in nature
Caterpillar
The white caterpillar has an ochre to yellow-brown head.
Mine
The mine starts as a short gallery close to the leaf edge that is soon extended into a blotch mine that can cover a large part of the leaf. The black frass inside the gallery lies in long threads.
See also bladmineerders.be
Cocoon/pupa
Pupation takes place inside a tough silken cocoon.
Bionomics
The mine starts as a short gallery close to the leaf edge that is soon extended into a blotch mine that can cover a large part of the leaf. The black frass inside the gallery lies in long threads. The species hibernates in the pupal stage in a hard silk cocoon in the soil.
The adults can be observed resting on the trees or flying around the trees in sunshine. Later they occasionally come to light.
Flight periods
The adults fly in March and April in one generation.
