Bucculatrix thoracella (Thunberg, 1794)

lime bent-wing

mine

Small, full depth, hook-like corridor, usually in a vein axil, with a proportionally large larval chamber. The remainder of the mine almost entirely stuffed with frass. At the start of the mine an iridescent egg shell. The larvae soon leave their mine and continue feeding at the underside of the leaf.

Upon vacating the mine the larva moults, in discoidal cocoonet made for this purpose. Larvae of many Bucculatrix species moult a second time in a similar fashion. Pupation in a spindle-shaped, greyish or yellowish brown, strongly ribbed cocoon.

hostplants

Malvaceae, and other woody plants

Acer campestre, platanoides, pseudoplatanus; Aesculus hippocastanum; Alnus; Betula; Carpinus betulus; Castanea sativa; Fagus sylvatica; Sorbus; Tilia cordata, x euchlora, x eueopaea, platyphyllos, tomentosa

In the Netherlands and Britain exclusively on Tilia. In Belgium almost exclusively – Jean-Yves Baugnée found mines on Acer platanoides in 2013. Where in the UK Tilia cordata and T. x vulgaris co-occur, there is a clear preference for cordata (Emmet, 1985a).

Found once also on Castanea (Hering, 1957a).

phenology

Larvae in June – July and August – October; hibernation as pupa in a cocoon (Kuchlein & van Frankenhuyzen, 1994a).

BENELUX

BE recorded (Phegea, 20909).

NE recorded (Kuchlein & van Frankenhuyzen, 1994a; Kuchlein & de Vos, 1999a; Microlepidoptera.nl, 2009).

LUX not recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2009).

distribution within Europe

Entire Europe, except Ireland, and the Balkan Peninsula (Fauna Europaea, 2009), Laštůvka & Laštůvka (2017a).

larva

Head yellowish white, pronotum light grey (Hering, 1957a).

pupa

In a white, ribbed cocoon, often on the trunk of the hostplant. The pupa is described by Patočka (1996a), Patočka & Turčáni (2005a). It is distinguished from all other known species of the genus by a dorsolateral group of two tubercles on abd. 10.

notes

First observed in the Netherlands in 1967. The species has since strongly expanded southwards and has increased in abundance. Also common on ornamental Limes in city centres. Also in Britain the eighties a strong expansion was seen (Emmet, 1984c).

Burmann (1991a) described how the species behaved as un urban pest in Tyrol, mainly on Lime and Maple.

references

Bengtsson & Johansson (2011a), Biesenbaum (2010a), Borkowski (2003a), Buhr (1964a), Burmann (1991a), Buszko (1992b), Emmet (1984c, 1985a), Gielis, Huisman, Kuchlein ao (1985a), Haase (1942a), Hartig (1939a), Hering (1957a, 1961a), Huemer (2012a), Huemer & Erlebach (2003a), Kasy (1983a, 1987a), Klimesch (1937b, 1950c, 1956a), Kollár & Hrubík (2009a), Klimesch (1958c), Kuchlein & van Frankenhuyzen (1994a), Kuchlein & de Vos (1999a),Kiurz & Kurz (2007a), Kurz & Embacher (2012a), Laštůvka & Laštůvka (2017a), Leutsch (2011a), Maček (1999a), Michna (1975a), Nowakowski (1954a), Patočka (1996a), Patočka & Turčáni (2005a), De Prins (2010a), Robbins (1991a), Sefrová (2005a), Smart (2017a), Sønderup (1949a), Szőcs (1977a, 1978a, 1981a), Zoerner (1969a).