Eriocrania semipurpurella (Stephens, 1835)

early purple

Betula, Steenbergen © Kees Boele

Eriocrania semipurpurella mine

Betula pubescens, Nieuwendam, leaf underside; mine with young larva

Betula pubescens, Hollandsche Rading: very first part of the mine

mine

Oviposition a few mm from the leaf margin; here begins a corridor of some mm, filled with granular frass. This corridor suddenly widens into a large full depth white blotch, with frass in long threads. The blotch remains adjacent to the leaf margin, and often engulfs the initial corridor. Almost always one larva in the mine (unless by coalescence of two mines). The larva lies venter-down in the mine. Older mines wither and disintegrate, and cannot be found later in the summer.

host plants

Betulaceae, monophagous

Betula pendula, pubescens.

phenology

Mines from end-March till early May (Heath, 1983a). The larve hibernates in the soil, in a detritus-covered cocoon; pupation in the soil.

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 Balkan Peninsula and the Mediterranean Islands (Fauna Europaea, 2009).

larva

pupa

pictures in Schmid.

synonyms

Allochapmania semipurpurella.

references

Bengtsson (2008a), Borkowski (2003a), Buhr (1935a), Haase (1942a), Hellers (2016a), Hering (1957a), Huber (1969a), Kuchlein & Donner (1993a), Kuchlein & de Vos (1999a), Kurz (2016a), De Prins & Steeman (2011a), Robbins (1991a), Schmid (2019a), Schütze (1931a), Skala & Zavřel (1945a), Sønderup (1949a), Stammer (2016a), Szőcs (1977a), Toll (1959a), van Wielink (2020a).