Rhopobota ustomaculana (Curtis, 1831)
northern bell
Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Poland, województwo Pomorskie, Czolpino © Stéphane Claerebout
underside of a mined leaf
lighted from behind
larva
Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Belgium, prov. Liège, Eupen, Brackvenn © Jean-Yves Baugnée
young, mining, larva
older, free living, larva
Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Belgium, prov. Liège, Lierneux, fagne de la Crépale: spun apical leave; © Jean-Yves Baugnée
Vaccinium vitis-idaea. England, Yorkshire © Charlie Streets
same mine
mine
Large full depth blotch or broad corridor, with much frass, either dispersed or heaped near the start of the mine. After some time he larvae leave their mine, and continue feeding among spun leaves.
hostplants
Ericaceae, narrowly monophagous
Vaccinium vitis-idaea.
phenology
Larvae until April (Hering, 1957a).
BENELUX
BE recorded (Phegea, 2009).
NE recorded (Kuchlein & de Vos, 1999a; Microlepidoptera.nl, 2009).
LUX recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2009).
distribution within Europe
From Fennoscandia and northern Russia to the Pyrenees and Italy, and from Britain to Romania.
larva
Mining larva whitish, with a brown head and prothoracic plate; thoracic feet and small pinacula black. Prolegs with c. 40 hooks, anteriorly in a single row, posteriorly in a double row (Swatschek, 1958a). No anal comb (Bradley ao, 1979a).
references
Bradley, Tremewan & Smith (1979a), Gielis ao (1985a), Hering (1957a), Klimesch & Skala (1936a), Kuchlein & Donner (1991a), Kuchlein & de Vos (1999a), Maček (1999a), Skala (1951b), Swatschek (1958a), Szőcs (1977a), Zoerner (1970a).