Elachista apicipunctella Stainton, 1849

pearled dwarf

mine

Corridor widening while descending from the tip of the leaf. The mine is unusual because the sides are very irregularly scalloped out. Moreover, the mine is not evenly transparant, but rather yellowish green and motly, because the larva leaves patches of parenchyma uneaten, and does not feed full depth. Frass in a few irregular, interrupted length lines. Often 2-3 larvae in a mine. The larvae hibernate in the centre of the mine; after winter they leave their mine and pupate.

hostplants

Poaceae, Juncaceae, narrowly polyphagous

Agrostis; Arrhenatherum elatius; Brachypodium sylvaticum; Calamagrostis arundinacea; Dactylis glomerata & subsp. lobata; Deschampsia cespitosa; Drymochloa sylvatica; Elymus caninus; Glyceria lithuanica; Holcus mollis; Melica nutans; Milium effusum; Poa nemoralis, remota; Schedonorus giganteus.

Found once on Luzula pilosa (Steuer, 1976a).

phenology

Larvae from October till about April (Bland, 1996a; Steuer, 1976a; Traugott-Olsen & Schmidt-Nielsen, 1977a).

BENELUX

BE recorded (Phegea, 2009).

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

LUX not recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2009).

distribution within Europe

All Europe, except the Iberian and the Balkan Peninsula (Fauna Europaea, 2009).

larva

Bone coloured. Pronotum, prosternum and anal shield have chitin structures of a characteristic shape (Steuer, 1976a).

pupa

Described by Patočka & Turčáni (2005a).

references

Bidzilya, Budashkin & Zhakov (2016a), Buszko (1990a), Buszko & Baraniak (1989b), Hering (1957a), Kaila, Mutanen, Saarela, Siloaho, Sippola & Tabell (2008a), Kaila, Nupponen, Junnilainen, Nupponen, Kaitila & Olschwang (2003a), Kozlov & Kullberg (2006a), Kuchlein & de Vos (1999a), Parenti & Varalda, (1994a), Patočka & Turčáni (2005a), Pinzari, Pinzari & Zilli (2013a), Robbins (1991a), Schütze (1931a), Sønderup (1949a), Sruoga & Ivinskis (2005a, 2011a), Steurer (1976a), Szőcs (1977a), Wörz (1957a).