Acentria ephemerella (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)

water veneer

larva

full grown larva

pupa in its cocoon

mine

Some of the larvae that hatch live for a short while as borer in the stem or midrib; later they live free. When the shape of the leaf is suitable they live in a folded leaf margin, secured with silk; thy also can use two or three leaves to makes themselves a transportable case. The larva is fully aquatic. Also the pupation is below water, in a flimsy cocoon; after the emergence the exuvium remains in the cocoon. It is no real miner, but the species has been included in Hering’s (1957a) compilation.

host plants

Ceratophyllaceae, Haloragaceae, Hydrocharitaceae, Potamogetonaceae; narrowly polyphagous

Ceratophyllum demersum; Elodea canadensis; Myriophyllum spicatum; Potamogeton lucens, perfoliatus; Stuckenia pectinata.

Not on Elodea nuttallii (Gross ao, 2002a).

phenology

Mining larvae in September (Hering, 1957a). The larva hibernates, in a hibernaculum in a submerged stem.

BENELUX

BE recorded (Phegea, 2011).

NE recorded (Kuchlein & de Vos, 1999a; Microlepidoptera.nl, 2011).

LUX recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2011).

distribution within Europe

Throughout Europe, except Iceland and the Balkan Peninsula (Fauna Europaea, 2011).

larva

Transparent-whitish, head capsule black. See also Passoa (1988a), Vallenduuk & Cuppen (2004a).

pupa

See Patočka, Patočka & Turčáni

synonyms

Acentropus niveus (Olivier, 1791).

notes

The species plays a role in the biological control of introduced pest water plants.

references

Berg (1941a), Corley, Marabuto, Maravalhas, Pires & Cardoso (2008a), Disqué (1890a), Gross, Feldbaum & Choi (2002a), Hering (1957a), Miler (2008a), Passoa (1988a), Patočka (2001c), Patočka & Turčáni (2005a), Vallenduuk & Cuppen (2004a), Vallenduuk, Cuppen & van der Velde (1997a).