Plant Parasites of Europe

leafminers, galls and fungi

Cnephasia asseclana

Cnephasia asseclana (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)

flax tortrix

broadly polyphagous, mainly on herbs

Cnephasia asseclana: larve in folded leaf of Ranunculus acris

Ranunculus acris, België, prov. Namen, Beauraing, RN Rend Peine © Stéphane Claerebout: the free living larvae remains in a spun leaf

Cnephasia asseclana: larve in folded leaf

opened leaf

Cnephasia asseclana: larve

larva

Cnephasia asseclana: larve: anal plate & comb

detail with anal shield and comb

Cnephasia asseclana: pupa

pupa in cocoon

mine

The young larva makes a small, full depth mine without a definite shape; little frass. The larva soon leaves the mine and continues feeding among spun leaves.

host plants

Acer platanoides, pseudoplatanus; Achillea millefolium; Aegopodium; Aesculus hippocastanum; Agrimonia eupatoria; Agrostemma; Ajuga; Alchemilla; Anchusa officinalis; Anemone nemorosa, ranunculoides; Angelica; Antennaria; Anthyllis; Aquilegia; Arabis alpina subsp. caucasica; Arctium; Artemisia vulgaris; Aster; Astragalus; Atriplex; Bellis; Borago; Brassica; Calendula; Caltha; Campanula; Carum; Centaurea; Cerastium; Chaerophyllum; Chenopodium; Chrysanthemum; Cirsium; Claytonia; Conopodium; Coronilla; Cortusa; Crataegus; Crepis; Cynoglossum germanicum; Dactylis; Datura; Daucus; Dianthus; Digitalis; Diplotaxis; Echium; Eranthis; Eupatorium; Euphorbia; Fagopyrum; Fagus; Fragaria; Fumaria; Galega; Genista; Gentiana; Geranium; Geum; Glechoma; Glyceria; Helenium; Heracleum; Hieracium; Hypericum; Hypochaeris; Iberis; Impatiens; Inula; Isatis; Kickxia; Lapsana communis; Lathyrus odoratus; Leontodon; Linaria; Lotus; Lunaria; Lupinus; Malus; Malva; Matricaria; Medicago; Melampyrum cristatum, pratense; Melilotus; Mentha longifolia; Menyanthes trifoliata; ; Milium; Mimulus; Myosotis; Myricaria germanica; Onobrychis;Ononis; Origanum; Oxyria digyna; Papaver; Pastinaca; Pelargonium; Peucedanum; Phacelia; Phaseolus; Phaseolus; Phlomis tuberosa; Pisum; Plantago; Poa; Polemonium; Polygonum; Potentilla; Prenanthes; Primula; Prunella; Pulicaria; Ranunculus; Raphanus; RheumRosa; Rubus; Rudbeckia; Rumex; Salix triandra; Salvia; Saxifraga; Scabiosa; Scrophularia; Sedum; Senecio; Sinapis; Sisymbrium; Solidago; Stachys recta; Stellaria; Taraxacum; Teucrium; Thesium rostratum; Trifolium; Trigonella; Trollius; Tulipa; Tussilago; Urtica; Vaccinium; Valeriana; Verbascum; Verbena; Veronica; Viburnum lantana; Vicia faba; Viola; Vitis; Zinnia.

phenology

Univoltine; hibernation as young larva

BENELUX

BE recorded (Phegea, 2009).

NE recorded Kuchlein & de Vos, 1999a; Microlepidoptera.nl, 2009).

LUX recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2009).

distribution within Europe

Entire Europe (Fauna Europaea, 2009).

larva

Body yellowish brown to grey. Head pale brown to brown. Prothoracic and anal plate blackish brown with a light anterior margin. Pinacula black (contrary to C. incertana); segment 10 with an anal comb (contrary to C. stephensiana). See Mackay, Swatschek for a detailed description of chaetotaxy and morphology, Schmid for pictures.

pupa

See Patočka & Turčáni.

synonyms

Cnephasia interjectana Haworth, 1811; C. virgaureana Treitschke, 1835.

notes

Despite the long list of host plants, mines in practice are found only very rarely in the Netherlands.

references

Ahr (1966a), Beiger (1955a), Bradley, Tremewan & Smith (1973a), Budashkin & Savchuk (2010a), Buhr (1935a, 1953a), Fazekas (2014c), Hancock & Bland (2015a), Hering (1934b, 1957a), Huber (1969a), Huemer (2012a), Klimesch (1989a), Kuchlein & Donner (1993a), Kuchlein & de Vos (1999a), Lepiforum (2019), Mackay (1962a), Meijerman & Ulenberg (2000a), Patočka & Turčáni (2005a), Robbins (1991a), Schmid (2019a), Skala (1951b), Sønderup (1949a), Swatschek (1958a), Szőcs (1977a).

Last modified 25.ii.2023