Scythropia crataegella (Linnaeus, 1767)

hawthorn moth

Scythropia crataegella: mines on Prunus domestica

Prunus domestica, Elst, 24.ix.2020 © Ben van As

Scythropia crataegella: mines on Prunus domestica

larvae in their small mines

Crataegus monogyna, Nieuwendam, 22.x.2011

another leaf (together with Rhamphus oxyacanthae).

one more

primary mine; at right, partly on top of the midrib, the egg

secondary mines

secondary mines, underside; frass grains are stuck in an invisible, thin, spinning

Scythropia crataegella: secondary mines on Prunus spinosa

Prunus spinosa, Veenendaal, 14.x.2016 © Ben van As; secondary mines

lighted from behind

Scythropia crataegella: vacates mines on Crataegus monogyna

Crataegus monogyna, Tilburg, de Kaaistoep, 17.v.2019 © Paul van Wielink: secondary mines

Scythropia crataegella: vacates mines on Crataegus monogyna

same leaf, lighted from behind

mine

The young larvae make very small (≤ 3 mm) corridor or blotch mines, usually several in a leaf. The primary mine generally lies adjacent to the midrib; as fas as I have seen the egg always is upper-surface. The secondary mines often are found in leaves without primary mine: obviously the larvae easily move to another leaf. The secondary mines are made from the underside of the leaf; while moving around silk is deposited under the leaf. Most frass is ejected from the mines, and part of the frass grains remain stuck in the spinning. Rather soon the larvae start living completely free in a common spinning under a leaf. The hibernate in a hibernaculum and continue living free in the spring.

host plants

Rosaceae, oligophagous

Cotoneaster integerrimus; Crataegus monogyna; Malus domestica; Prunus domestica, spinosa; Pyrus communis.

Wörz (1957a) adds Euonymus and Quercus; this needs confirmation.

phenology

Larvae from autumn till in June.

BENELUX

BE recorded (Phegea, 2010).

NE recorded (Kuchlein & de Vos, 1999a; Microlepidoptera.nl, 2010).

LUX recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2010).

distribution within Europe

From Fennoscandia to the Mediterranean, and from Britain to Romania (Fauna Europaea, 2010).

larva

social; head black, with brown and white lines; mottled reddish brown to fuscus grey (Agassiz, 1996a).

pupa

zie by Patočka (1997a, 1999b).

references

Agassiz (1996a), Baldizzone (2004a), Bengtsson & Johansson (2011a), Buhr (1936a), Burmann (1951a), Corley, Rosete, Romão ao (2015a), Emmet (1976a), Gros (2016a), Heckford (1986a), Hering (1957a), Huisman, Koster, Muus & van Nieukerken (2013a), Kasy (1987a), Kuchlein & Donner (1993a), Kuchlein & de Vos (1999a), Patočka (1997a, 1999b), Patočka & Turčáni (2005a), Robbins (1991a), Schütze (1931a), Skala (1951b), Szőcs (1977a), Wegner (2007a, 2010a), Wörz (1957a).