| Eriocrania sangii | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Eriocraniidae |
| Genus: | Eriocrania |
| Species: | E. sangii |
| Binomial name | |
| Eriocrania sangii (Wood, 1891) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Eriocrania sangii, the large birch purple, [1] is a moth of the family Eriocraniidae found in Europe and described by John Henry Wood in 1891. The moth can be found flying in sunshine around birch trees and the larvae feed on birch leaves.
The wingspan is 9–14 mm. Edward Meyrick gives this description: head whitish-grey-ochreous, more or less mixed with dark fuscous. Antennae 1/2. Forewings elongate, bronzy-purple, with more or less numerous pale shining golden irregular spots: a subtriangular pale golden dorsal spot before tornus, reaching half across wing; cilia bronzy-grey, on dorsal spot ochreous-whitish; 9 absent. Hindwings bronzy-grey, towards apex purplish-tinged. Larva grey; head black, centre and mouth brown; 2 with two groups of black spots: in brownish blotch in leaves of birch. [2] [3] ;Similar species E. sangii looks similar to E. semipurpurella and can only be told apart by microscopy of the genitalia. [4]
The moth can be found flying in sunshine, around birch trees, in March and April. In dull weather they rest on twigs.< [5] *
Eggs are laid in a leaf bud of birch. [5]
The grey larvae mine the leaves of birch ( Betula species). The mine starts as a short gallery, close to a leaf margin and develops into a large, white, full depth blotch. Frass is in long threads. The leaf mines can be found from the end of March until May and when vacated, the mine shrivels and withers away. [6] Larvae feed on downy birch ( Betula pendula ), silver birch ( Betula pubescens ). [7]
Pupation is in the soil, within a tough silken cocoon. [5]
The moth was described by Woods from a specimen found in Tarrington, Herefordshire, England, naming the moth, Micropteryx sangii. The genus Micropteryx was raised by the German entomologist, Jacob Hübner in 1825 and comes from the Greek for mikros, little and pterux, a wing. [8] The moth is now in the genus Eriocrania , which was raised by Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1851. Erion means wool and kranion means the upper part of the head, which refers to the hair-scales on the top of the head. The specific name sangii is named after the lepidopterist J Sang (1828–1887) who was based in the north-east of England. [9]
Eriocraniidae is a family of moths restricted to the Holarctic region, with six extant genera. These small, metallic moths are usually day-flying, emerging fairly early in the northern temperate spring. They have a proboscis with which they drink water or sap. The larvae are leaf miners on Fagales, principally the trees birch (Betula) and oak (Quercus), but a few on Salicales and Rosales.
Dyseriocrania subpurpurella is a diurnal moth from the family Eriocraniidae, found in most of Europe. The moth was first named by the English entomologist, Adrian Hardy Haworth in 1828.
Oncocera semirubella, the rosy-striped knot-horn, is a small moth of the family Pyralidae.
Eriocrania semipurpurella is a moth of the family Eriocraniidae, found from Europe to Japan and in North America. It was first described by James Francis Stephens in 1835. The species closely resembles Eriocrania sangii and the larvae of both species mine the leaves of birch.
Agonopterix ocellana is a species of moth of the family Depressariidae. It is found in Europe and was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775.
Prays fraxinella, also known as the ash bud moth, is a moth of the family Plutellidae found in Europe. The larvae are leaf miners, feeding on the leaves and buds of ash trees.
Eriocrania cicatricella is a moth of the family Eriocraniidae found in Europe. It was first described by Johan Wilhelm Zetterstedt in 1839. The larvae mine the leaves of birch.
Eriocrania salopiella is a moth of the family Eriocraniidae and is found in Europe. It was described by the English entomologist, Henry Tibbats Stainton in 1854. The larvae mine the leaves of birch.
Eriocrania sparrmannella also known as the mottled purple is a moth of the family Eriocraniidae, found in Europe and Japan. It was first described by the French entomologist, Louis Augustin Guillaume Bosc in 1791. The specific name honours the Swedish naturalist Anders Erikson Sparrman. The larvae mine the leaves of birch.
Eriocrania unimaculella is a moth of the family Eriocraniidae found in Europe. It was first described by the Swedish naturalist Johan Wilhelm Zetterstedt in 1839. The larvae feed inside the leaves of birch, making a mine.
Eriocrania chrysolepidella is a moth of the family Eriocraniidae found in Europe. It was first described by the German entomologist, Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1851. The larvae mine the leaves of hazel and hornbeam.
Parornix anglicella is a moth of the family Gracillariidae found in Asia and Europe. It was described in 1850, by the English entomologist Henry Tibbats Stainton, from a specimen from Lewisham, Kent.
Eriocrania is a Palearctic genus of moth of the family Eriocraniidae. The moths are diurnal, flying in sunshine, and the larvae are leaf miners, forming blotches in leaves.
Stigmella lapponica is a moth of the family Nepticulidae found in Asia, Europe and North America. It was first described by the German entomologist, Maximilian Ferdinand Wocke in 1862. The larvae mine the leaves of birch.
Stigmella plagicolella is a moth of the family Nepticulidae described by Henry Tibbats Stainton in 1854. It is found in all of Europe and the Near East.
Stigmella aurella is a moth of the family Nepticulidae found in Africa, Asia and Europe. It was first described by the Danish zoologist, Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775. The larvae are leaf miners.
Stigmella sorbi is a moth of the family Nepticulidae, described by Henry Tibbats Stainton in 1861. It is found in most of Europe, east to the eastern part of the Palearctic realm.
Stigmella salicis is a moth of the family Nepticulidae which is found in Europe. It was first described by the English entomologist, Henry Stainton in 1854. The type locality is from England.
Schreckensteinia festaliella, the blackberry skeletonizer, is a moth of the family Schreckensteiniidae first described by Jacob Hübner in 1819. It is found in the Palearctic including Europe and has been introduced to North America
Agonopterix rotundella is a moth of the family Depressariidae and is found in most of Europe. It was first described from moths found in Surrey, England by the entomologist John Douglas in 1846.
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