Coleophora vitisella Gregson, 1856
northern case-bearer

Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Belgium; prov. Liège, Eupen, Brackvenn © Jean-Yves Baugnée

mine leaf, upperside

mined leaf, underside

mines, lighted from behind
case
Greyish black tubular composite leaf case of about 5-6 mm. The case is composed of numerous rings, each cut out of the lower epidermis of the host plant. The rear end is strongly curved, like the handle of a walking stick. Mouth angle 45°. The larva pupates in its case at the upperside of the leaf.
The development of the larva takes two years, with a diapause in early summer, when the plant develops new foliage. In the first year the cases consists only of the strongly curved part of the complete case.
host plants
Ericaceae, oligophagous
Pyrola; Vaccinium vitis-idaea.
Occurrence on Potentilla (Comarum) is xenophagy (Hering, 1957a).
Buhr (1937a) mentions in Mecklenburg also occurrence on Vaccinium oxyoccus.
phenology
Full-grown larvae in September – April (Emmet ao, 1996a).
BENELUX
BE recorded (Phegea, 2009).
NE recorded (Kuchlein & de Vos, 1999a; Microlepidoptera,nl, 2009).
LUX not recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2009).
distribution within Europe
From Fennoscandia and northern Russia to the Pyrenees and Italy, and from Britain to Romania.
parasitoids, predators
references
Baldizzone, Tokár, Z & S Kovács (2004a), Buhr (1935b, 1937a), Deutsch (2012a), Emmet, Langmaid, Bland ao (1996a), Gebiola, Bernardo, Ribes & Gibson (2015a), Haase (1942a), Hartig (1939a), Hering (1957a), Huisman, Koster, van Nieukerken & Ulenberg (2004a), Ivinskis & Savenkov (1991a), Klimesch (1989a), Kozlov & Kullberg (2010a), Kuchlein & Donner (1993a), Landry ao (2013a), Patzak (1974a), Kuchlein & de Vos (1999a), Michaelis (1954a, 1983a), Nel (1992c), Razowksi (1990a), Robbins (1991a), Schmid (2019a), Sønderup (1949a), Szőcs (1977a), Toll (1962a).