Leucoptera malifoliella (O Costa, 1836)
pear-leaf blister moth

Malus sylvestris, Luxemburg, Kautenbach

Malus domestica, Belgium, prov. Liège, Awirs: young mine © Jean-Yves Baugnée

same mine, magnified

Mespilus germanica, Belgium, prov. Hainaut, Thuin, Bois de la Frégène © Jean-Yves Baugnée

mine, lighted from behind
Sorbus aucuparia, Lauwersoog © Gerrit Tuinstra: old mines
mine
Oviposition is at the leaf underside, well away from the leaf margin; the egg has a fine reticulate surface (Mey, 1988a). The mine is a rather large, perfectly circular blotch without a trace of a preceding corridor. Around the dark centre the frass, glued to the upper epidermis, is arranged in distinct arcs. Pupation external.
host plants
Betulaceae, Rosaceae; narrowly polyphagous
Alnus incana; Amelanchier ovalis; Aronia; Betula pendula, pubescens; Chaenomeles japonica; Cotoneaster integerrimus; Crataegus crus-galli, monogyna; Cydonia oblonga; Malus baccata, domestica, floribunda, sylvestris; Mespilus germanica; Prunus avium, cerasifera, cerasus, domestica & subsp. subhirtella, fruticosa, spinosa, “subhirtella”; Pyrus communis; Sorbus aucuparia.
phenology
Larvae from June till October in three generations (Wörz, 1957a).
BENELUX
BE recorded (Phegea, 2009).
NE recorded (Kuchlein & de Vos, 1999a; Microlepidoptera.nl, 2009).
LUX recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2009).
distribution within Europe
Entire Europe (Fauna Europaea, 2009).
larva
pupa
Described by Patočka (2000a), Patočka & Turčáni (2005a).
synonyms
Leucoptera, Cemiostoma scitella (Zeller, 1839).
notes
When the species occurs on Crataegus confusion may arise with Stigmella paradoxa. In that species however oviposition occurs never more than a few mm removed from the leaf margin.
references
Aguiar & Karsholt (2006a), Bengtsson & Johansson (2011a), Borkowski (2003a), Briolini (1961a), Buhr (1935a,b, 1937a, 1964a), Buszko (1981a, 1992b), Csóka (2003a), Corley, Rosete, Romão ao (2015a), Drăghia (1972a), Emmet (1985a), van Frankenhuyzen (1973a), van Frankenhuyzen & Houtman (1972a), van Frankenhuyzen Houtman & Kabos (1982a), Haase (1942a), Hartig (1939a), Hering (1921a, 1927b, 1933b, 1957a), Klimesch (1950c, 1957a, 1958c), Kollár & Hrubík (2009a), Kuchlein & Donner (1993a), Kuchlein & de Vos (1999a), ME & MA Kurz (2007a), Kvičala (1938a), Lhomme (1934c,d), Maček (1999a), Mey (1988a, 1994a), Parenti & Varalda (2000a), Patočka (2000a), Patočka & Turčáni (2005a), Plóciennik, Pawlikiewicz & Jaworski (2011a), Robbins (1991a), Schütze (1931a), Sefrová (2005a), Seven (2006a), Skala (1941a, 1951a), Sønderup (1949a), Stammer (2016a), Starý (1930a), Szőcs (1977a, 1981a), Wörz (1957a).