Argyresthia aurulentella Stainton, 1849

gold juniper argent

mine

The larva enters a needle by making a circular entrance, which is closed with silk. The needle is more or less completely mined out, after which the larva leaves the mine either through the first opening, or by making a new one. This procedure is repeated a number of times. The mines hardly contain any frass. Pupation in the ground, in a whitish reticulate cocoon.

host plants

Cupressaceae, monophagous

Juniperus communis, foetidissima.

phenology

Larvae in March, April (Hering, 1957a).

BENELUX

BE recorded (Phegea, 2010).

NE recorded (Kuchlein & de Vos, 1999a; Microlepidoptera.nl, 2010).

LUX not recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2010).

distribution within Europe

From Fennoscandia and the Baltic States to the Pyrenees, Sardinia, Italy, and Macedonia, and from Britain to Romania (Fauna Europaea, 2010).

larva

Body dirty green, reddish towards the end. Head shining black, prothoracic and anal plate blackish brown with an olive brown centre.

pupa

See Patočka (1998a), Patočka & Turčáni (2005a).

notes

Reared by Moraiti ao from the “berries” of Juniperus foetidissima.

references

Agassiz (1996a), Bengtsson & Johansson (2011a), Buhr (1935b), Friese (1969a), Hering (1957a), Huisman, Koster, van Nieukerken & Ulenberg (2003a), Klimesch (1989a), Kozlov & Kullberg (2010a), Kuchlein & Donner (1993a), Kuchlein, Gielis, Huisman, ao (1988a), Kuchlein & de Vos (1999a), Laštůvka & Laštůvka (2019a), Liška, Šumpich, Laštůvka, ao (2014a), Moraiti, Kadis, Papayiannis & Stavrinides (2019a), Patočka (1998a), Patočka & Turčáni (2005a), De Prins (1998a), Robbins (1991a), Schütze (1899a), Sønderup (1949a), Stigter & van Frankenhuyzen (1992a), Szőcs (1977a).