Eriocrania cicatricella (Zetterstedt, 1839)

washed purple

Betula pendula, Belgium, prov. Antwerp, Mol © Carina Van Steenwinkel: occupied mine

Betula, Belgium, prov. Antwerp, Geel, Hezemeer © Carina Van Steenwinkel: even without opening the mine it is striking how hyaline the living larvae are.

mine

Large full depth blotch, adjacent to the leaf margin. The mine is not completely eaten out, which gives it a greenish or off-white aspect. Frass in threads, that seem to be somewhat shorter than in other Eriocrania‘s. The mine harbours 2-4 strikingly hyaline larvae. Older mines wither and wear off; in summer no trace of them is left.

host plants

Betulaceae, monophagous

Betula pendula, pubescens.

phenology

Mines in May (Heath, 1983a); de larva hibernates in the soil, in a detritus-covered cocoon. and pupates in the spring.

BENELUX

BE recorded (Phegea, 2009).

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

LUX not recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2009).

distribution within Europe

From Fennoscandia and northern Russia to the Pyrenees, Italy, and Romania, and from Ireland to South Russia (Fauna Europaea, 2009).

larva

synonyms

Allochapmania, Eriocrania purpurella (Haworth, 1828); Eriocrania haworthi Bradley, 1966; Eriocrania rubroaurella (Haworth, 1828).

references

Bengtsson (2008a), Buhr (1935a), Buschmann (2014a), Heath (1983a), Hellers (2016a), Hering (1957a), Kuchlein & Donner (1993a), Kuchlein & de Vos (1999a), Kurz (2016a), Maček (1999a), De Prins & Steeman (2011a), Robbins (1991a), Schmid (2019a), Skala & Zavřel (1945a), Sønderup (1949a), Starý (1930a), Toll (1959a).