Stigmella plagicolella (Stainton, 1854)
scrubland pigmy
on (Malus), Prunus
Prunus cerasifera, Hungary, Budapest © László Érsek
two mines, upperside of the leaf
at the underside they are hardly recognisable
mine, vacated by a parasitoïd
mine with an unusual frass pattern
larva, dorsal view
larva, ventral view
Prunus spinosa, Bergen NH
Malus domestica, Belgium, prov. Namur, Couvin, Frasnes © Stéphane Claerebout: mine on a very exceptional host plant
detail
mine
Egg at the leaf underside. The first part of the mine consists of a slender undulating corridor with a proportionally wide uninterrupted frass line, that leaves a clear transparent zone at either side. After a moult this corridor abruptly widens into a blotch, that develops into the opposite direction. The frass is concentrated here in a diffuse central spot. The mine hardly ever crosses the midrib. Pupation outside the mine.
host plants
Rosaceae, oligophagous
Malus domestica; Prunus armeniaca, avium, cerasifera, domestica & subsp. insititia, mahaleb, mume, spinosa, subcordata, triloba.
Sloe is the most important host plant by far. Occurrence on apple is very occasional; yet the mine shown above had an exit slit, indicating that the larva successfully had completed its development.
phenology
Larven in July and September – October (Emmet, 1976a).
BENELUX
BE recorded (Phegea, 2009).
NE recorded (Kuchlein & de Vos, 1999a; Microlepidoptera.nl, 2009).
LUX recorded (Ellis: Kautenbach).
distribution within Europe
All Europe (Fauna Europaea, 2009).
larva
synonyms
Nepticula plagicolella.
notes
Reported as a pest on greenhouse plums (van Frankenhuyzen & Freriks, 1972d).
references
Amsel & Hering (1933a), Beiger (1979a), Bengtsson (2008a), Borkowski (1969a), Buhr (1936a, 1964a), Buszko & Baraniak (1989a), Buszko & Beshkov (2004a), Černý (2001a), Corley (2005a), Csóka (2003a), Diškus & Stonis (2012a), Drăghia (1967a, 1968a, 1970a, 1971a), Emmet (1976a), van Frankenhuyzen & Freriks (1972d), van Frankenhuyzen & Houtman (1972a), van Frankenhuyzen Houtman & Kabos (1982a), Gustafsson (1985a), Gustafsson & van Nieukerken (1990a), Haase (1942a), Hartig (1939a), Hering (1924a, 1932g, 1957a), Huber (1969a), Huemer (1985a, 1988a), Huemer & Erlebach (2003a), Johansson ao (1990a), Kasy (1979a, 1983a, 1987a), Klimesch (1936a, 1942a, 1950c, 1958c), Kollár (2007a), Kollár & Hrubík (2009a), Kuchlein & Donner (1993a), Kuchlein & de Vos (1999a), Kurz & Kurz (2007a), Kvičala (1938a), Laštůvka & Laštůvka (1997a, 2005a, 2015a), Lhomme (1934c,d), Maček (1999a), Navickaitė, Diškus & Stonis (2014), van Nieukerken (1986a, 2006a), van Nieukerken, Laštůvka & Laštůvka (2004a, 2006a), van Nieukerken, Zolotuhin & Mistchenko (2004a), Nowakowski (1954a), Plóciennik, Pawlikiewicz & Jaworski (2011a), Popescu-Gorj & Drăghia (1968a), Robbins (1991a), Sefrová (2005a), Skala (1939a, 1941a, 1951a), Sønderup (1949a), Stammer (2016a), Starý (1930a), Steuer (1995a), Stolnicu (2008a), Szőcs (1977a, 1978a, 1981a), Yefremova & Kravchenko (2015a), Zoerner (1969a).