Stigmella myrtillella (Stainton, 1857)

bilberry pigmy

Vaccinium myrtillus, Belgium, prov. Liège, Angleur, Streupas © Jean-Yves Baugnée

Stigmella myrtillella mine

Vaccinium myrtillus, Rhenen

Stigmella myrtillella: occupied mine on Vaccinium myrtillus

Vaccinium myrtillus, Belgium, prov. Limburg, Bokrijk © Carina Van Steenwinkel

Vaccinium uliginosum, Vragenderveen

mine

Ovipostion at the leaf underside, usually near the midrib. Mine a contorted gallery, often a secondary blotch. Leaf around the mine often turns purple. Frass in a thick central line. Pupation external.

host plants

Ericaceae, monophagous

Vaccinium myrtillus, uliginosum.

Very rarely also on V. vitis-idaea (Skala, 1939a).

phenology

Larvae in July and September – October (Emmet, 1983a). Bivoltine; hibernation as pupa.

BENELUX

BE recorded (Phegea, 2009).

NE recorded (Huisman ea, 2001a; Microlepidoptera.nl, 2009).

LUX not recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2009).

distribution within Europe

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

larva

Yellow, head light brown (Johansson ao, 1990a); Gustafsson & van Nieukerken (1990a) give a detailed description.

synonyms

Nepticula myrtillella.

references

Anisimovas, Diškus & Stonis (2006a), Beiger (1958a), Bengtsson (2008a), Borkowski (1969a), Buhr (1937a, 1964a), J Černý (2001a), Diškus & Stonis (2012a), Dziurzynski (1957a, 1958a), Emmet (1971a, 1983a), van Frankenhuyzen & Houtman (1972a), van Frankenhuyzen Houtman & Kabos (1982a), Gustafsson (1985a), Gustafsson & van Nieukerken (1990a), Haase (1942a), Hartig (1939a), Hering (1957a), Huber (1969a), Huemer (2012a), Huisman, Koster, van Nieukerken & Ulenberg (2001a), Johansson ao (1990a), Klimesch (1950c, 1958c, 1989a), Kuchlein & Donner (1993a), Kuchlein & de Vos (1999a), Kurz (2016a), Laštuvka & Laštuvka (1997a), Maček (1999a), Michalska (1970a, 1972a, 1976a), Michna (1975a), Navickaitė, Diškus & Stonis (2011a), van Nieukerken (1986a, 2006a), van Nieukerken, A & Z Laštuvka (2006a), van Nieukerken, Mutanen & Doorenweerd (2012a), Robbins (1991a), Schmid (2019a), Skala (1939a), Skala & Zavřel (1945a), Sønderup (1949a), Steuer (1995a), Szőcs (1977a).