| Eriocrania sangii | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| 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. The moth can be found flying in sunshine, around birch trees, in March and April. In dull weather they rest on twigs. [2] [3]
Eggs are laid in a leaf bud of birch. [3]
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. [4] Larvae feed on downy birch ( Betula pendula ), silver birch ( Betula pubescens ). [5]
Pupation is in the soil, within a tough silken cocoon. [3]
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. [6] 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. [7]
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.
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.
The March dagger moth is a moth of the subfamily Chimabachinae. It is found in Europe and was first described by Michael Denis & Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775.
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
Anacampsis populella is a moth of the family Gelechiidae, which is native to Europe and has been accidentally introduced to North America. It was first described in 1759 by Carl Alexander Clerck, a Swedish entomologist. The type specimen is from Sweden. The foodplants of the larvae are poplars and willows.
Prays fraxinella, the ash bud moth, is a moth of the family Plutellidae. It is found in Europe.
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.
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.
Ectoedemia occultella, the small birch leafminer, is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. It has a Holarctic distribution. It is found in most of Europe, east through Russia to Japan. It is also present in North America. Mines very similar to that of Ectoedemia occultella have been found on Rosaceae species in Nepal and Japan and these may belong to this species.
Ectoedemia intimella is a moth of the family Nepticulidae which is found in Europe. It flies in June and July and the larva mine the leaves of willows from July to November.
Bucculatrix maritima is a species of moth of the family Bucculatricidae. It is found in most of Europe, Russia and Japan. It was first described in 1851 by Henry Tibbats Stainton.
Parornix betulae is a moth of the family Gracillariidae. It is known from all of Europe, east to Korea. It was recently reported from Canada, with records from Québec, Ontario and British Columbia.
Apotomis betuletana is a moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found in most of Europe. It is also found in the eastern part of the Palearctic realm. The habitat consists of woods and woodland margins where birch occurs.
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.
Aproaerema anthyllidella is a moth of the family Gelechiidae. It is found in most of Europe, Kyrgyzstan, Iran and North America.
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