Prays fraxinella (Bjerkander, 1784)

ash-bud moth

egg shell

mine

In late autumn the larvae make an irregular small corridor with dispersed black frass. Often the corridor widens in the end into an irregular blotch with much less frass. The mine may begin at an egg shell (lower picture), but the larvae can leave their mine and start a new one elsewhere in the leaf; in that case the corridor begins with a small round opening. Before the leaf is shed the larva leaves the mine and bores into the bark, where it hibernates. After hibernation they live as shoot borer, of free among spun leaves

host plants

Oleaceae, oligophagous (?)

Fraxinus excelsior, ornus.

The species is also reported from Daphne, but is is not really clear whether this concerns a regular relationship.

phenology

Mining larva in October (Agassiz, 1996a).

BENELUX

BE recorded (Phegea, 2009).

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

LUX recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2009).

distribution within Europe

All Europe, except the Mediterranean islands and the Balkan Peninsula (Fauna Europaea, 2009).

larva

pupa

Illustrated and described by Patočka (1997a, 1999b), Patočka & Turčáni (2005a).

synonyms

Prays curtisella (Donovan, 1793).

references

Agassiz (1996), Baldizzone (2004a), Bengtsson & Johansson (2011a), Buhr (1964a), Buszko (1992b), Deschka & Wimmer (2000a), Fazekas & Schreurs (2012a), Hering (1957a), Huemer (2012a), Huisman, Koster, van Nieukerken & Ulenberg (2001a), Kollár & Hrubík (2009a), Kuchlein & Donner (1993a), Kuchlein & de Vos (1999a), Leutsch (2011a), Maček (1999a), Patočka (1997a, 1999b), Patočka & Turčáni (2005a), Robbins (1991a), Skala (1951b), Sønderup (1949a), Szőcs (1977a), Wörz (1957a), Zoerner (1969a).