Phyllonorycter mespilella (Hübner, 1805)
scarce brown midget
Sorbus torminalis, Czech Republic, northwestern Bohemia, Děčín © Jindra Černý (reared and genitalised)
same mine, underside
mine
Lower-surfce, yellow-green tentiform mine, 20-32 mm long, with a number of fine folds in the lower epidermis. In most cases the mine is elongate, situated between two lateral veins. The reddish to chestnut brown cocoon lies in a flimsy cocoon in which no frass is incorporated: the frass is stored not in a clump but in a row of loose grains behind the cocoon. Just before edcysis the pupa works itself out of the mine through the lower wall; mostly the empty exuvium sticks halfway out of the mine.
host plants
Rosaceae, oligophagous
Amelanchier ovalis; Cotoneaster integerrimus; Crataegus; Cydonia oblonga; Malus domestica; Mespilus germanica; Prunus cerasus; Pyrus communis, cordata; Sorbus aria, aucuparia, intermedia, torminalis.
phenology
Larvae in July and September – October (Emmet, Watkinson & Wilson, 1985a); hibernation as pupa (Triberti, 2007).
BENELUX
BE recorded (Phegea, 2009).
NE recorded (Kuchlein & de Vos, 1999a; Microlepidoptera.nl, 2009).
LUX not recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2009).
distribution within Europe
From Germany to the Iberian Peninsula, Sardinia, Italy and the Carpathians, and from Ireland to southern Russia (Fauna Europaea, 2009). In recent times introduced in the Canary Islands (De Prins ao).
pupa
Cremaster, similar to that of Ph. anceps, with two pairs of short, stout spines, the outer one curved outwards, the inner one inward; the outer spines about as long as wide at their base (Gregor & Patočka, 2001a; Triberti, 2007a).
synonyms
Lithocolletis mespilella; L. pyrivorella Bankes, 1899.
parasitoids, predators
references
Aguiar & Karsholt (2006a), Bouček (1959a), Buhr (1935b), Corley, Ferreira, Grundy, ao (2018a), Corley, Marabuto, Maravalhas ao (2009a), Corley, Nunes, Rosete & Ferreira (2019a), Corley, Nunes, Rosete, ao (2020a), Deutschmann (2008a), Drăghia (1972a, 1974a), Emmet, Watkinson & Wilson (1985a), Gregor & Patočka (2001a), Hartig (1939a), Hering (1957a), Huber (1969a), Huisman & Koster (1996a, 1998a, 2000a), Huisman, Koster, Muus & van Nieukerken (2013a), Kirichenko, Augustin & Kenis (2018a), Kuchlein & Donner (1993a), Kuchlein & de Vos (1999a), A & Z Laštůvka (2011a, 2014a), Maček (1999a), Nel & Varenne (2014a), Olivella (2002a), Patočka & Turčáni (2005a), De Prins, De Prins, De Coninck ao (2013a), Pröse (1981a), Robbins (1991a), Szőcs (1977a), Triberti (2007a).