| | Insects of Britain and Ireland: the genus Phyllonorycter (Lepidoptera-Gracillariidae) |
Associated with shrubs. On Leguminosae; Cytisus and Genista (also Chamaecytissus, Laburnum).
Larvae. The larvae mining in leaves; in the upper-side. Found in May and August.
Adults. Antennae coloured (whitish, annulated with fuscous). Face and palpi white. Head ochreous to brown. Thorax reddish ochreous, or brown (with a whitish line down each side); without a median pale streak. Wing-span about 8–9.5 mm. Forewings pale reddish ochreous; not clear shining white; lacking dark transverse fasciae; with a well defined basal streak. The basal streak pale; markedly bent; not dark-edged above. Forewings with well defined pale strigulae. Costal strigulae 4; white (-ish to pale ochreous). The first costal strigula not basipetally extended along the costa; not dark-margined posteriorly. Dorsal strigulae 3. Forewings with the first costal strigula approaching a dorsal one at an acute angle; without transverse pale fasciae. Forewings without conspicuous dark apical marks. Hindwing cilia fuscous (or pale grey). Posterior tarsi whitish, without dark spots.
The left and right male genital valvae very dissimilar (more or less oblong with pointed tips, similar in length but the right not spine-tipped). The left male genital valva retrorsely tipped by a hooked spine. The left and right male genital valvae having free costae. The left and right free costae completely detached from the valvae to arising near the bases of the valvae; markedly different (both spine-tipped, the left considerably longer). The aedeagus long and relatively slender with a triangular barb towards the apex.
Adults abroad May and September.
General comments. Recognised as ‘British’ by Stainton in 1855, but subsequently excluded from check lists; re-discovered in 1983, in Cornwall. Genitalia: Gustafsson (2007): http://www2.nrm.se/en/svenska_fjarilar/svenska_fjarilar.html#DV.
Illustrations. • “Lithocelletis populifoliella”, cf. P. comparella; P. staintoniella; P. quinquenotella (North American): Stainton (1855), Plate VII. PHYLLONORYCTER. 1, cf. P. comparella: imago (1m), larva (1a) and mined poplar leaf (1b). 2, P. staintonella: imago (2m), larva (2a) and sprig of Genista pilosa, with two mined leaves (2b). 3, P. quinquenotella (a North American species): imago (3m), larva (3a) and mined stem of Genista sagittalis (3b). • Stainton (1855), Plate VII: original legend..
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Cite this publication as: ‘Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2003 onwards. Insects of Britain and Ireland: the genus Phyllonorycter (Lepidoptera-Gracillariidae) Version: 14th April 2022. delta-intkey.com’.
