Rubus spec., Spain, prov. Asturias, Gijon; © Jean-Yves Baugnée, det Erik van Nieukerken

mine

Egg at the upper side of the leaf, next to a major vein. The first part of the mine is a narrow corridor, largely filled with frass, following a vein now and then making a hairpin turn. The corridor widens into an elongate blotch with dispersed black frass in the base or along the sides. Generally the leaf around the mine is intensely coloured wine red over a large area, making the mines very conspicuous.

hostplants

Rosaceae, monophagous

Rubus caesius, fruticosus, idaeus, nemorosus, sanctus, ulmifolius.

Van Nieukerken ao (2010a) stress that only evergreen brambles can occur as hostplants, and mention as such exclusively R. sanctus and ulmifolius.

phenology

Univoltine; larvae from September till December, but more to the south until April, sometimes even later (van Nieukerken, 1985a).

BENELUX

Not known from the Benelux countries (Fauna Europaea, 2009).

distribution within Europe

From the coast of southern England and western France to Iberia, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Greece, and Cyprus.

larva

Dirty grey (young larvae more yellowish), head dark brown. Ganglia conspicuous. Larva lies venter upwards in the mine. The larva is described by Gustafsson & van Nieukerken (1990a).

Emmet (1974c, 1985a) writes that the young larva has dark ventral plates. This must be a misinterpretation: ventral plates are absent in this species (Gustafsson & van Nieukerken; 1990a; van Nieukerken 1985a and in litt.).

synonyms

Nepticula, Stigmella erythrogenella.

notes

Emmet supposes that the occurrence of the species in South England is a relatively recent phenomenon, after introduction from NW France.

references

Arenberger & Wimmer (1996a), Emmet (1974c, 1975a, 1983a), Gustafsson (1981a), Gustafsson & van Nieukerken (1990a), Hering (1957a), Johansson ao (1990a), Klimesch (1940a), A & A Laštuvka (1997a, 2008a), Maček (1999a), van Nieukerken (1985a, 1986a), van Nieukerken, A & Z Laštuvka (2004a, 2006a, 2010), Skala (1939a), Triberti & Braggio (2011a).