Caloptilia alchimiella (Scopoli, 1763)
yellow-triangle slender

Fagus sylvatica, Duin en Kruidberg
mine in detail
Fagus sylvatica, Duin en Kruidberg
mine in detail
At first a narrow lower-surface epidermal gallery, regularly intersecting itself. In the next stage the mine becomes full depth. It remains a small mine, either rectangular, or, more frequently, a triangle in a vein axil, with frass along the sides. After a while the mine is vacated and the larva continues to live free in consecutively two or three downwards rolled leaf lobes. Pupation in a white cocoon.
Neither in the mine nor in the larva a difference is known with C. robustella. Moreover a temporal overlap exists between the single larval generation of C. alchmiella, and the second larval generation of robustella. Only the pupae and adults enable a reliable identification.
Fagaceae, oligophagous
Castanea sativa; Fagus orientalis, sylvatica; Quercus cerris, macranthera, petraea & subsp. iberica, pubescens, robur.
Occupied mines in July – August; free living larvae until well in October (Emmet ea, 1985a).
BE recorded (Phegea, 2010).
NE recorded (Kuchlein & de Vos, 1999a; Microlepidoptera.nl, 2010).
LUX recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2010).
All Europe. except the Mediterranean Islands (Fauna Europaea, 2010).
See Patočka & Turčáni (2005a), Patočka & Zach (1995a) for differences with robustella in the pupa.
Because the related C. robustella Jäckh, 1972 was recognised only relatively late, all older literature in fact refers to both species.
Baldizzone (2004a), Bengtsson & Johansson (2011a), Biesenbaum (2010a), SCS Brown (1947a), Buhr (1936a, 1964a, 1965a), Buszko (1992b), Buszko & Beshkov (2004a), Deutschmann (2008a), Drăghia (1972a), Emmet, Watkinson & Wilson (1985a), Hering (1925b, 1932g, 1934a, 1935a, 1957a), Huber (1969a), Huemer (2012a), Jaworski (2009a), Klimesch (1950c), Kuchlein & Donner (1993a), Kuchlein & de Vos (1999a), Lempke (1976a), Leutsch (2011a), Maček (1999a), Nowakowski (1954a), Opheim (1977a), Patočka & Turčáni (2005a), Patočka & Zach (1995a), De Prins (1998a), Robbins (1991a), Schütze (1931a), Sefrová (2005a), Skala (1941a, 1951a), Skala & Zavřel (1945a), Sønderup (1949a), Stolnicu (2007a), Szőcs (1977a), Tomov & Dimitrov (2007a), Tomov & Krusteva (2007a), Ureche (2010a), Zoerner (1969a, 1970a).