Stenoptilia zophodactylus (Duponchel, 1840)

dowdy plume

Gentiana sp. Amstelveen

mine

Full depth irregular blotch that may occupy an entire leaf. Frass in numerous, dispersed, brown grains. Some larvae remain in the mine until shortly before pupation, others leave the mine in an early stage and feed externally on the flower buds and developing fruits (Beirne, 1952a).

host plants

Gentianaceae, oligophagous

Blackstonia perfoliata; Centaurium erythraea, littorale; Gentiana lutea, Gentianella germanica.

phenology

Larvae between May and September (Hering, 1957a); however the mine illustrated above, containing a living, young larva, was collected in early March.

BENELUX

BE recorded (De Prins, 1998a, Phegea, 2008).

NE recorded (Noctua, 2008).

LUX recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2008).

distribution within Europe

From Sweden and Finland to the Iberian Peninsula, Sardinia, Sicily, Crete and Cyprus, and from the UK to Poland and Roumania (Fauna Europaea, 2008).

larva

synonyms

Stenoptilia zophodactyla; Mimeseoptilus semicostata Zeller, 1873; Pterophorus loewii Zeller, 1847; Pt. canalis Walker, 1864.

references

Baldizzone (2008a), Beirne (1952a), Bella (2007a), Bigot, Nel & Picard (2009a), Bond (2001a), Embacher & Huemer (2008a), Gielis (1996a), Hart (2011a), Hering (1957a), Kuchlein & Donner (1993a), Kuchlein & de Vos (1999a), Nel (1996a), De Prins (1998a), Robbins (1991a), Sutter (1991a).