Coleophora albitarsella Zeller, 1849
white-legged case-bearer

Glechoma hederacea, Belgium, prov. Liège, Angleur, Ourthe © Jean-Yves Baugnée

an individual case
Glechoma hederacea, Belgium, prov. Liège, Angleur, Ourthe © Jean-Yves Baugnée
an individual case
Glechoma hederacea, Diemerbos
Origanum vulgare, Denmark, Zealand, Bognæs; © Hans Henrik Bruun
Salvia verticillata, Wageningen © Maarten Immerzeel
Agastache foeniculum, Wageningen © Maarten Immerzeel: feeding pattern
case
Sheath case. The fully developed case is slender, shining black brown, about 9 mm long. Towards the end a narrow, transparent yellowish ventral keel. Mouth angle 50-60°. Cases at the leaf underside.
Lamiaceae, oligophagous
Agastache foeniculum; Clinopodium vulgare; Glechoma hederacea; Lycopus europaeus; Melissa officinalis; Melittis melissophyllum; Mentha aquatica, arvensis; Nepeta cataria; Orignanum vulgare; Prunella vulgaris; Salvia pratensis, verbenaca, verticillata; Satureja; Stachys, Thymus.
Michaelis (1983a) doubted the occurrence on Origanum, but the picture above refutes that. Maarten Immerzeel found in his Wageningen garden most cases on Menta, several on Melissa officinalis, two on both Salvia verticillata and Agastache foeniculum, and none on Glechoma or Stachys!
Larvae are full grown around May (Emmet ao, 1996a).
BE recorded (Phegea, 2009).
NE recorded (Kuchlein & de Vos, 1999a; Microlepidoptera.nl, 2009).
LUX recorded (Ellis, Kautenbach).
Almost entire Europe, but not known from Ireland and Greece (Fauna Europaea, 2009).
In continental Europe the species also lives on Thymus (Patzak, 1974a; Szőcs, 1977a; Razowski, 1990a). Then confusion may arise with the rare C. niveicostella, that is bound to thyme. Its case is indistinguishable from that of C. albitarsella. A differentiating character is that in the larvae of niveicostella the metanotum is concolorous with the remainder of the pale green , while in albitarsella the metanotum bears two black oval sclerites.
Baldizzone (1979a), Beiger (1958a, 1960a), Biesenbaum & van der Wolf (1999a), Buhr (1935a,b, 1936a), Emmet, Langmaid, Bland ao, (1996a), Hering (1921a,b, 1957a), Huisman, Koster, Muus & van Nieukerken (2013a), Kasy (1987a), Kuchlein & Donner (1993a), Kuchlein & de Vos (1999a), Lhomme (1934c), Maček (1999a), Michaelis (1983a), Michna (1975a), Mitterberger (1931a), Nel (1992b,c), Patzak (1974a,b), De Prins (2010a), De Prins & Steeman (2011a), Pröse (1995a), Razowski (1990a), Robbins (1991a), Skala & Zavřel (1945a), Sønderup (1949a), Suire (1961a), Szőcs (1977a, 1978a, 1981a), Toll (1952a, 1962a).