Rhopobota ustomaculana (Curtis, 1831)

northern bell, loch rannoch tortrix

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.

host plants

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 (Swatschek, Bradley ao, 1979a).

pupa

See Patočka & Turčáni.

synonyms

Steganoptycha ustomaculana.

references

Bradley, Tremewan & Smith (1979a), Disqué (1905a), Gielis, Huisman, Kuchlein ao (1985a), Hancock & Bland (2015b), Hering (1957a), Klimesch & Skala (1936a), Kuchlein & Donner (1991a), Kuchlein & de Vos (1999a), Maček (1999a), Patočka & Turčáni (2005a), Skala (1951b), Šumpich (2011b), Swatschek (1958a), Szőcs (1977a), Zoerner (1970a).