Eriocrania sparrmannella (Bosc, 1791) Species
Last modified: Dec. 11, 2023, 9:44 a.m.
A fairly common species throughout Belgium.
Details
- Classification
- Family: Eriocraniidae > Genus: Eriocrania > Species: Eriocrania sparrmannella
- Vernacular names
- Late purpermot (NL), Mottled Purple (EN), Sparrmanns Trugfalter (DE)
- 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] Sparmannella. F.; H.). view page
- Status
-
Native
Distribution
Imago
Wingspan: 10 –13 mm.
Museum specimens
Specimens in nature
No pictures yet!Caterpillar
The white caterpillar has a brownish head.
Mine
The mine usually starts not far from the main vein as a narrow corridor, wich is almost completely filled with black frass and, later on, turns into a blotch mine that usually covers the initial gallery. Nevertheless the latter remains clearly visible.
See also bladmineerders.be
Cocoon/pupa
Pupation occurs in a tough silken cocoon.
Bionomics
The egg is laid in young leaves. The mine usually starts not far from the main vein as a narrow corridor wich is almost completely filled with black frass and, later on, turns into a blotch mine that usually covers the initial gallery. Nevertheless the latter remains clearly visible. In the blotch mine the black frass lies in spaghetti-like threads. The caterpillar hibernates in the pupal stage in a hard silken cocoon in the soil.
The adults are active in full sun and, later on, occasionally come to light.
Flight periods
The adults fly from the end of March till early May.
