Elachista unifasciella (Haworth, 1828)

narrow-barred dwarf

mine

In autumn the larva makes a long, somewhat blistered, slightly transparant corridor. In spring it mines the basal leaves that lie on the ground. These mines are swollen, clouded green, opaque, and the mined tips of the leaves are puckered and shrunken,filled with frass (Traugott-Olsen & Nielsen, 1977a).(

hostplants

Poaceae, oligofagous

Avenula pubescens; Brachypodium sylvaticum; Dactylis glomerata & subsp. lobata; Holcus mollis; Milium effusum.

Dactylis and to a lesser degree Brachypodium, are the most important species (Steuer, 1973a). Traugott-Olsen & Nielsen (1977a) consider records from Holcus unreliable, and do not even mention Milium.

phenology

Larvae from autumn till end-May (Traugott-Olsen & Nielsen, 1977a).

BENELUX

BE recorded (Phegea, 2009).

NE The record by Kuchlein & Kuchlein-Nijsten (2002b) was corrected soon after (2003a).

LUX recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2009).

distribution within Europe

From Sweden tot the Pyrenees, Italy, and Thrace, and from Britain to Central Russia (Fauna Europaea, 2009).

larva

Rather thick, light yellow; head light brown. See Steuer (1973a) for an illustration of the characteristic sclerites in the pronotum, prosternum, and anal shield.

pupa

See Patočka (1999a) and Patočka & Turčáni (2005a).

synonyms

E. gangabella and unifasciella have long been mixed up in the literature (Steuer, 1973a).

notes

Species of shady forests.

references

Biesenbaum (1995b), Bland (1996a), Buszko (1990a), Kuchlein & Kuchlein-Nijsten (2002b, 2003a), Parenti & Varalda (1994a), Patočka (1999a), Patočka & Turčáni (2005a), Pinzari, Pinzari & Zilli (2013a), De Prins (1998a), Sruoga & Ivinskis (2005a), Sterling (1986a), Steurer (1973a), Šulcs (1996a), Traugott-Olsen & Nielsen (1977a), Walczak (2011a).

24/10/2014