Monochroa tetragonella (Stainton, 1885)

common plain neb

mine

In autumn the larva mines a number of the upper leaves completely out, migrating through the stem from one leaf to another. The mined leaves contain much dense, black frass. After the hibernation the larve lives as a stem borer. Infested plant parts turn pale and wilt.

host plants

Primulaceae, monophagous

Glaux maritima.

phenology

Larvae from September till April.

BENELUX

BE recorded (Phegea, 2011).

NE recorded (Kuchlein & de Vos, 1999a; Microlepidoptera.nl, 2011).

LUX not recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2011).

distribution within Europe

From Fennoscandia and North Russia to Belgium and Germany, and from Britain to South Russia (Fauna Europaea, 2011).

larva

Body crimson reddish, with minute black pinacula; head ochreous-yellow; prothoracic plate dark brown (Bland ao).

synonyms

Aristotelia, Monochroa, Xystophora gudmanni Larsen, 1927 (?)

notes

The synonymy is probable (on the basis of the descriptions of the biology), but I have not found a definite confirmation in the literature. Hering (1957a) cites Rebel as the author of gudmanni, but this may be due to confusion with Depressaria gudmanni, a very different species.

references

Bland, Corley, Emmet ao (2002a), Hering (1930b, 1957a), Huisman & Koster (1994a), Huisman, Kuchlein, van Nieukerken ao (1986a), Kaitila 1996a), Rickert (2010a, 2011a), Skala (1950a), Sønderup (1949a), Wegner (2010a).