Stigmella plagicolella (Stainton, 1854)
scrubland pigmy
on Prunus

Prunus cerasifera, Hungary, Budapest © László Érsek

two mines, upperside of the leaf

at the underside they are hardly recognisable

mine, vacated by a parasitoïd

mine with an unusual frass pattern

larva, dorsal view

larva, ventral view
Prunus spinosa, Bergen NH
mine
Egg at the leaf underside. The first part of the mine consists of a slender undulating corridor with a proportionally wide uninterrupted frass line, that leaves a clear transparent zone at either side. After a moult this corridor abruptly widens into a blotch, that develops into the opposite direction. The frass is concentrated here in a diffuse central spot. The mine hardly ever crosses the midrib. Pupation outside the mine.
host plants
Rosaceae, monophagous
Prunus armeniaca, avium, cerasifera, domestica & subsp. insititia, mahaleb, mume, spinosa, subcordata, triloba.
Sloe is the most important host plant by far. Occurrence on apple is very occasional; yet the mine shown above had an exit slit, indicating that the larva successfully had completed its development.
phenology
Larven in July and September – October (Emmet, 1976a).
BENELUX
BE recorded (Phegea, 2009).
NE recorded (Kuchlein & de Vos, 1999a; Microlepidoptera.nl, 2009).
LUX recorded (Ellis: Kautenbach).
distribution within Europe
All Europe (Fauna Europaea, 2009).
larva
synonyms
Nepticula plagicolella.
notes
Reported as a pest on greenhouse plums (van Frankenhuyzen & Freriks, 1972d).
references
Amsel & Hering (1933a), Beiger (1979a), Bengtsson (2008a), Borkowski (1969a), Buhr (1936a, 1964a), Buszko & Baraniak (1989a), Buszko & Beshkov (2004a), Černý (2001a), Corley (2005a), Csóka (2003a), Demyanenko, Bidzilya & Karolinskiy (2021a), Deutsch (2012a), Diškus & Stonis (2012a), Drăghia (1967a, 1968a, 1970a, 1971a), Emmet (1976a), van Frankenhuyzen & Freriks (1972d), van Frankenhuyzen & Houtman (1972a), van Frankenhuyzen Houtman & Kabos (1982a), Gustafsson (1985a), Gustafsson & van Nieukerken (1990a), Haase (1942a), Hartig (1939a), Hering (1924a, 1932g, 1957a), Huber (1969a), Huemer (1985a, 1988a), Huemer & Erlebach (2003a), Johansson ao (1990a), Kasy (1979a, 1983a, 1987a), Klimesch (1936a, 1942a, 1950c, 1958c), Kollár (2007a), Kollár & Hrubík (2009a), Kuchlein & Donner (1993a), Kuchlein & de Vos (1999a), Kurz (2016a), Kurz & Kurz (2007a), Kvičala (1938a), Laštůvka & Laštůvka (1997a, 2005a, 2015a), Lepiforum (2024), Lhomme (1934c,d), Maček (1999a), Navickaitė, Diškus & Stonis (2014), van Nieukerken (1986a, 2006a), van Nieukerken, Laštůvka & Laštůvka (2004a, 2006a), van Nieukerken, Zolotuhin & Mistchenko (2004a), Nowakowski (1954a), Plóciennik, Pawlikiewicz & Jaworski (2011a), Popescu-Gorj & Drăghia (1968a), De Prins (2007a), Robbins (1991a), Sefrová (2005a), Skala (1939a, 1941a, 1951a), Skorb, Diškus & Stonis (0000a), Sønderup (1949a), Stammer (2016a), Starý (1930a), Steuer (1995a), Stolnicu (2008a), Szőcs (1977a, 1978a, 1981a), Thomann (1956a), Yefremova & Kravchenko (2015a), Zoerner (1969a).