Elachista utonella Frey, 1856
bog dwarf
mine
The mine begins somewhere halfway the blade as an upwards running corridor. After a while the direction reverses, and an elongate blotch develops occupying half the width of the leaf. Frass, light green at first, grey later, concentrated in the lowest part of the mine. Pupation external.
host plants
(Juncaceae, Poaceae), Cyperaceae; narrowly polyphagous
Carex acutiformis, brizoides, distans, disticha, echinata, elata, flacca, hirta, muricata & subsp. pairae, paniculata, remota, riparia, spicata, vesicaria; Festuca; Juncus gerardi; Scirus sylvaticus.
In Britain Carex acutiformis is the main host plant (Bland, 1996a).
phenology
How hibernation takes place is not clear. In Britain mines are found in March – May, but possibly the species has two generations in continental Europe (Bland, 1996a; Traugott-Olsen & Nielsen, 1977a).
BENELUX
BE recorded (Phegea, 2010).
NE recorded (Kuchlein & de Vos, 1999a; Microlepidoptera.nl, 2010).
LUX not recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2010).
distribution within Europe
From Fennoscandia to the Pyrenees and Italy, and from Ireland to Romania (Fauna Europaea, 2010).
larva
Yellowish green to greyish; head black, prothoracic plate light brown.
pupa
Described by Patočka (1999a) and Patočka & Turčáni (2005a).
synonyms
Biselachista utonella; Elachista paludum Frey, 1859.
notes
Doets (1949a) found the mines in Kortenhoef on Carex riparia, “….only on plants growing deeply hidden under willows ….”
references
Baran, Mazurkiewicz & Pałka (2007a), Bidzilya, Budashkin & Zhakov (2016a), Biesenbaum (1995b), Bland (1996a), Buhr (1935a), Doets (1949a), Ford (1943a), Harper (1995a), Hering (1957a), Huisman, Koster, van Nieukerken & Ellis (2009a), Kaila, Nupponen, Junnilainen, Nupponen, Kaitila & Olschwang (2003a), Kuchlein & Donner (1993a), Kuchlein & de Vos (1999a), Parenti & Pizzolato (2015a), Parenti & Varalda (1994a), Patočka (1999a), Patočka & Turčáni (2005a), De Prins (1998a), Robbins (1991a), Schütze (1931a), Sønderup (1949a), Sruoga & Ivinskis (2005a, 2011a), Szőcs (1977a, 1981a), Traugott-Olsen & Nielsen (1977a), Wörz (1957a).