Bucculatrix cidarella (Zeller, 1839)

alder bent-wing

Bucculatrix cidarella: mines on Alnus glutinsa

Alnus glutinosa, Belgium, prov. Namur, Grand-Leez, 10.x.2012 © Jean-Yves Baugnée

Bucculatrix cidarella mine

Alnus glutinosa, Burgh-Haamstede

Bucculatrix cidarella: mine on Myrica gale

Myrica gale, Belgium, prov. Limburg, Zonhoven; leg Zoë Vanstraelen Steve Wullaert

Bucculatrix cidarella egg

Alnus glutinosa, Duin en Kruidberg: egg, hidden partly under a vein

mine

Short and narrow corridor, starting at an oval, iridescent egg shell that is placed at the leaf underside (always?), close to a thick vein. The larval chamber is more than three times as long as wide, and is vacated through an upper surface exit slit. Frass in a narrow central black line; when the mine is made in Bog-Myrtle the thick frass line almost fills the corridor (Emmet, 1985a). Older larvae live free and cause window-feeding. Pupation in a dull yellowish brown, spindle-shaped, strongly ribbed cocoon.

host plants

Betulaceae, Myricaceae, narrowly polyphagous

Alnus glutinosa, incana, viridis; Myrica gale.

Until shortly the species was known in continental Europe only from alder; only in the UK the species was found, sometimes even in numbers, on bog myrtle (Emmet, 1982e; Michaelis, 1982a). Only as late as in 2013 cidarella was found by Steve Wullaert in northern Belgium also on bog myrtle.

phenology

Larvae in August-September, hibernation as pupa (Hering, 1957a).

BENELUX

BE Recently (2006) found in the province of Antwerpen (De Prins & Steeman, 2007).

NE Uncommon (Microlepidoptera.nl, 2008).

LUX Not recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2008).

distribution within Europe

All Europe, except for the Balkan (Fauna Europaea, 2008).

larva

pupa

Described by Patočka (1996a), Patočka & Turčáni (2005a).

references

Ahr (1966a), Bengtsson & Johansson (2011a), Biesenbaum (2010a), Borkowski (2003a), Buhr (1935a, 1964a), Burmann (1991a), Buszko (1992b), Buszko & Beshkov (2004a), Corley, Marabuto, Maravalhas ao (2009a), Deutsch (2012a), Drăghia (1974a), Emmet (1982e, 1985a), Graham (2014a), Haase (1942a), Hellers (2017a), Hering (1957a), Klimesch (1937b, 1956a), Kuchlein & Donner (1993a), Kuchlein & de Vos (1999a), Kurz & Embacher (2012a), Z & A Laštůvka (2009b), Maček (1999a), Michaelis (1982a), van Nieukerken, Gielis, Huisman ao (1993a), Nunes (2021a), Patočka (1996a), Patočka & Turčáni (2005a), De Prins (2007a, 2010a), De Prins & Steeman (2011a), Robbins (1991a), Schütze (1931a), Skala (1951a), Skala & Zavřel (1945a), Sønderup (1949a), Svensson (1971a), Szőcs (1977a), Vávra (2016a), Zoerner (1969a, 1970a).