Coleophora idaeella Hofmann, 1869
scotch case-bearer
from Toll (1962a)
Vaccinium myrtillus, Belgium, prov. Liège, High Fens © Steve Wullaert
feeding traces, with excision and youth case
case
The full-grown larva in a bivalved composite leaf case, composed of three leaf fragments of increasing age and decreasing size; the case measures c. 10 mm, the mouth angle is c. 60°.
Confusion is possible with Coleophora vacciniella, that can live on the same hostplant. An additional difference then is that vacciniella causes window feeding in the upperside of the leaf, while idaeella makes blotch mines from the underside. However, the pupation of idaeella occurs on the upperside (Itämies & Tabell, 1991a; Tabell in litt., 2009).
hostplants
Ericaceae, narrowly monophagous
Vaccinium vitis-idaea.
Rarely V. myrtillus (picture above).
phenology
Oviposition in June, July; the larva is full-grown in May, two year later (Emmet ao, 1996a).
BENELUX
BE observed (De Prins ao)
NE not recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2012)
LUX not recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2012)
distribution within Europe
From Fennoscandia and northern Russia to the Pyrenees and Alps, and from Britain to Poland (Fauna Europa, 2009).
larva
See Emmet ao (1996a); prolegs on abd. 3-5.
references
Emmet, Langmaid, Bland ao (1996a), Hering (1957a), Itämies & Tabell (1991a), Patzak (1974a), De Prins, Steeman & Sierens (2016a), Razowski (1990a), Sønderup (1949a), Toll (1962a).