Apteropeda orbiculata (Marsham, 1802)

Plantago major, Germany, Schwarzwald

detail

Cirsium arvense, Belgium, prov. Namur, Gembloux; © Jean-Yves Baugnée

Verbascum lychnitis, Belgium, prov. Liège, Theux, Le Rocheux; © Jean-Yves Baugnée

Stachys sylvatica, Belgium, prov. Namur, Couvin, Ry de Pernelle: the opening at right shows that the larva there has started making a new gallery © Stéphane Claerebout

secondary blotch

Stachys sylvatica, Belgium, prov. Namur, Parc National de Furfooz © Stéphane Claerebout; the latva has just started making a new mine

Galeopsi spec., Biddinghuizen, Spijk- en Bremerbergbos © Hans Jonkman

another specimen
mine
Rather long full depth corridor that winds freely through the leaf and may cross itself. In the end the corridor widens considerably. Frass mostly in a narrow central line, but may also be deposited along the sides or be missing. The larvae regular leave a mine to restart elsewhere. Pupation outside the mine. Neither larva nor mine can be distinguished from that of related species. (Hering, 1957a). A. globosa is much less polyphagous than orbiculata. See Rheinheimer & Hassler (2018a) for the differences in the imago’s of orbiculata, globosa, and splendida.
hostplants
Polyphagous, preference for Lamiaceae
Ajuga genevensis, reptans; Aster; Bellis perennis Carduus; Centaurea; Cirsium arvense; Clinopodium vulgare; Digitalis grandiflora, lutea, purpurea; Galeopsis tetrahit; Glechoma hederacea, hirsuta; Kickxia; Lamium; Linaria; Origanum; Pedicularis; Plantago atrata, lanceolata, major; Primula obconica; Prunella; Rhinanthus; Satureja; Scrophularia; Stachys officinalis, recta, sylvatica; Teucrium; Verbascum lychnitis; Veronica chamaedrys.
phenology
Larvae in May-July (Hering, 1957a); univoltine, hibernation as adult (Cox, 2007a).
BENELUX
BE Fauna Europaea (2007).
NE Beenen & Winkelman (1993a).
LUX Fauna Europaea (2007).
distribution within Europe
From Denmark tot Spain and Italy, and from France to the Ukraine; also in the British Isles (Cox, 2007a; Fauna Europaea, 2007).
larva
synonyms
Records of mines of Mniophila muscorum (Koch) are due to confusion with A. orbiculata (Beenen ea, Cox, 1997a). M. muscorum feeds on mosses.
references
Ahr (1966a), Bahillo de la Puebla & Román (2009a), Baviera & Biondi (2015a), Beenen, van Nunen & Winkelman (2006a), Beenen & Winkelman (1993a), Beiger (1960a), Buhr (1933a, 1964a), Cox (1997a), Doguet (1994a), Hering (1924a, 1925a,b, 1930a,b, 1957a), Huber (1969a), Konstantinov & Vandenberg (1996a), Maček (1999a), Michna (1975a), Petitpierre i Vall (1994a), Rheinheimer & Hassler (2018a), Robbins (1991a), Skala (1951a), Skala & Zavřel (1945a), Sønderup (1949a), Warchalowski (2003a), Zoerner (1969a).