Eriocrania semipurpurella

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Eriocrania semipurpurella
Eriocrania semipurpurella01.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Eriocraniidae
Genus: Eriocrania
Species:
E. semipurpurella
Binomial name
Eriocrania semipurpurella
(Stephens, 1835)
Synonyms
  • Lampronia semipurpurellaStephens, 1835
  • Micropteryx amentellaZeller, 1850
  • Micropteryx inconspicuellaWood, 1890

Eriocrania semipurpurella (Purplish birch-miner) 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.

Contents

Description

The wingspan is 10–16 mm. Edward Meyrick gives this description: Forewings elongate, bronzy-purple, more or less sprinkled with pale shining golden; an indistinct usually small transverse pale golden dorsal spot before tornus, sometimes almost obsolete; cilia bronzy-grey, on dorsal spot ochreous-whitish; 9 absent. Hindwings with hairscales except towards margins posteriorly, bronzy-grey, posteriorly purplish-tinged. Larva whitish; head pale ochreous-brown, mouth darker in blotch in leaves of birch. The moth flies from March to April depending on the location. [1] [2]

The moth flies in sunshine around birch trees ( Betula species), sometimes in swarms in March and April. In dull weather, they rest on twigs. [3]

Similar species

E. semipurpurella looks similar to E. sangii and can only be told apart by microscopy of the genitalia. [4]

Other stages

Eggs are laid on the leaf bud and the larvae feed on the leaves in a mine from the end of March to early-May. The mine starts at or near the edge of a leaf and widens into a blotch. The frass is string-like. The larvae have dark markings on the head and prothorax which lighten as it matures. [3] [5] Pupation takes place in a tough silken cocoon in the soil. [3]

Larva Eriocrania semipurpurella, Nantlle, North Wales, May 2016 - Flickr - janetgraham84.jpg
Larva
Mine Eriocrania semipurpurella mine1.jpg
Mine

Subspecies

Etymology

Stephens described the moth from a specimen found in Darenth Wood, Kent, England, naming the moth, Lampronia semipurpurella. The genus Lampronia was raised by Stephens in 1829 and is from the Greek lampros – meaning ″bright: from the bright coloration of some of the species.″ 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 semipurpurella is from semi – half, and purpureus – from the forewing colouration. [6] [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eriocraniidae</span> Family of moths

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.

<i>Dyseriocrania subpurpurella</i> Moth species in family Eriocraniidae

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.

<i>Oncocera semirubella</i> Species of moth

Oncocera semirubella, the rosy-striped knot-horn, is a small moth of the family Pyralidae.

<i>Eriocrania sangii</i> Moth species in family Eriocraniidae

Eriocrania sangii, the large birch purple, 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.

<i>Eriocrania cicatricella</i> Moth species in family Eriocraniidae

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.

<i>Eriocrania salopiella</i> Moth species in family Eriocraniidae

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.

<i>Eriocrania sparrmannella</i> Moth species in family Eriocraniidae

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.

<i>Eriocrania unimaculella</i> Moth species in family Eriocraniidae

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.

<i>Eriocrania chrysolepidella</i> Moth species in family Eriocraniidae

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.

<i>Parornix anglicella</i> Species of moth

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.

<i>Eriocrania</i> Moth genus in family Eriocraniidae

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.

<i>Stigmella confusella</i> Species of moth

Stigmella confusella is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. It is found from Fennoscandia to the Pyrenees, Alps and Bulgaria and from Ireland to central Russia.

<i>Stigmella microtheriella</i> Species of moth

Stigmella microtheriella, the Hazel leaf miner moth, is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. It is found in Asia, Europe and New Zealand. The larvae mine the leaves of hazel and hornbeams. It was described by the English entomologist, Henry Tibbats Stainton in 1854 from a type specimen found in England.

<i>Stigmella lapponica</i> Species of moth

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.

<i>Stigmella plagicolella</i> Species of moth

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.

<i>Stigmella aurella</i> Species of moth

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.

<i>Stigmella salicis</i> Species of moth

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.

<i>Enteucha acetosae</i> Species of moth

Enteucha acetosae, the pygmy sorrel moth, is a moth of the family Nepticulidae found in Europe. It is one of the smallest moths in the world with some having a wingspan of only 3mm. The larvae mine the leaves of docks, leaving bright red tissue around the mines.

<i>Agonopterix rotundella</i> Species of moth

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.

References

  1. ↑ Meyrick, E., 1895 A Handbook of British Lepidoptera MacMillan, London pdf PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain . Keys and description
  2. ↑ Zagulyaev, A.K., 1989 Family Eriocranidae Moths In: Keys to the Insects of the European Part of the USSRPages:64-74 Brill
  3. 1 2 3 Heath, John (1983). Eriocraniidae. In The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland. Volume 1. Colchester: Harley Books. pp. 156–165. ISBN   0-946589-15-1.
  4. ↑ Kimber, Ian. "Eriocrania semipurpurella (Stephens, 1835)". UKmoths. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  5. ↑ "2.007 Eriocrania semipurpurella (Stephens, 1835)". British Leafminers. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  6. ↑ Smith, Frank. "Microlepidoptera (Micro-Moths)" (PDF). Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Federation for Biological Recorders. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  7. ↑ Emmet, A Maitland (1991). The Scientific Names of the British Lepidoptera. Their history and meaning. Colchester: Harley Books. pp. 42 & 49. ISBN   0-946589-35-6.
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