Coleophora pennella (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)

bugloss case-bearer

Echium vulgare, Belgium, prov. Namur, Saint-Servais, Asty-Moulin © Jean-Yves Baugnée

Belgium, prov. Namur, Saint-Servais, Asty-Moulin; © Jean-Yves Baugnée

case and adult

case

The young larva feeds on the developing seeds and hibernates in its first case which is made of the tip of a petal. After hibernation it makes a hoary, laterally flattened composite leaf case (resembling, says Hering, a willow catkin). Fleck mines are made at the margin of the leaves, that thereby look peculiarly damaged (van Breemen, 1983a; Emmet ao, 1996a). Mouth angle 70°.

host plants

Boraginaceae, oligophagous (?)

Anchusa officinalis; Cynoglossum officinale; Echium gaditanum, italicum, vulgare; Lithospermum officinale; Myosotis; Nonea pulla; Onosma; Pentaglottis; Pulmonaria officinalis; Symphytum officinale.

Apart from the Boraginaceae listed above, several more genera are mentioned in the literature: Asteraceae: Hieracium; Lamiaceae: Lycopus, Nepeta, Origanum, Stachys officinalis; Scrophulariaceae: Verbascum. If indeed the larva has built its case out of leaf material from these plants, the hairynes and general aspect of the case will vary strongly.

phenology

Larvae are full grown in mid May – early June (Emmet ao, 1996a).

BENELUX

BE recorded (Phegea, 2009)

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

LUX recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2009).

distribution within Europe

All Europe, perhaps Ireland excluded (Fauna Europaea, 2009).

synonyms

Coleophora onosmella (Brahm, 1791); C. diffinis Staudinger, 1879.

notes

Klimesch (1958c) found full grown larvae, ready to pupate, spun to dead grass culms.

references

Ahr (1966a), Amsel & Hering (1933a), Baldizzone (1983c, 1985d, 2004a, 1995b), Baldizzone & Luquet (1981a), Baldizzone & Nel (1992a), Baldizzzone, van der Wolf & Landry (2996a), Beavan & Heckford (2015b), Biesenbaum & van der Wolf (1999a), van Breemen (1983a), Emmet ao (1996a), Hering (1957a), Huertas Dionisio (2007a), Huisman & Koster (1999a), Klimesch (1958c), Klimesch & Skala (1936a), Kuchlein & Donner (1993a), Kuchlein & de Vos (1999a), Leutsch (2011a), Nel (1992b,c), Patzak (1974a), De Prins (2010a), Razowski (1990a), Robbins (1991a), Skala (1951a), Skala & Zavřel (1945a), Sønderup (1949a), Stammer (2016a), Szőcs (1977a, 1981a), Thomann (1956a), Toll (1962a).