Populus canescens, Belgium, prov. Namur, Couvin, Mariembourg © Stéphane Claerebout

mine

The egg is placed on the petiole, about a cm below the base of the leaf; often one egg at either side. The larva first bores in the distal part of the petiole, that shows a local swelling. When the larva reaches the leaf it makes an elongate triangular blotch between the leaf margin and the first side vein, or, less frequently, between midrib and side vein. Frass in two bands, parallel to the sides of the mine, created by the passage of the larva when it retreates into the petiole. The larva mainly feeds at night. Pupation external.

hostplants

Salicaceae, monophagous

Populus alba, canescens.

Only in the smaller leaves of older shoots of large trees, never on saplings (van Nieukerken, 1985a).

phenology

Larve in the petioles in August, in the leaf mines from mid-September; mines often in green islands, also in fallen leaves (Hering, 1957a).

BENELUX

BE recorded (Phegea, 2009).

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

LUX not recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2009).

distribution within Europe

Almost all Europe; not in Ireland, Greece, and the Mediterranean Islands (Fauna Europaea, 2009).

larva

Whitish, no ventral plates; see Gustafsson & van Nieukerken (1990a) for a description.

synonyms

Nepticula turbidella; Ectoedemia, Nepticula, Stigmella populialbae (Hering, 1935).

notes

The mines may be confused with those of Gypsonoma oppressana (Emmet, 1970b).

references

Bengtsson (2008a), Buhr (1935b, 1965a), Buszko & Baraniak (1989a), Delplanque (1998a), van Dijken (2017a), Diškus & Stonis (2012a), Emmet (1970b, 1971a, 1983a), Gielis, Huisman, Kuchlein ao (1985a), Gustafsson (1985a), Gustafsson & van Nieukerken (1990a), Hering (1923a, 1935a, 1957a), Houard (1908a), Huber (1969a), Johansson ao (1990a), Kasy (1965a, 1983a), Klimesch (1950c), Kuchlein & Donner (1993a), Kuchlein & de Vos (1999a), Lambinon, Carbonnelle & Claerebout (2015a), A & Z Laštuvka (1997a), Maček (1999a), Manning (1997a), Navickaitė, Diškus & Stonis (2014), van Nieukerken (1985a, 1986a), van Nieukerken, A & Z Laštuvka (2004a, 2006a, 2010a), van Nieukerken, Zolotuhin & Mistchenko (2004a), Pelham-Clinton (1976a), De Prins (1998a), Redfern & Shirley (2011a), Robbins (1991a), Schütze (1931a), Sefrová (2005a), Skala (1939a), Sønderup (1949a), Stănescu (2009a), Szőcs (1977a, 1981a), Wullaert (2015a), Yefremova & Kravchenko (2015a).