Apple Leaf Miner
Lyonetia clerkella
This record describes Lyonetia clerkella (species). Recorded family: Lyonetiidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Lyonetia clerkellais a tiny moth (wingspan 7 to 9 mm) with a silvery appearance but very attractively patterned when seen under magnification. The larva produces a leafmine on a number of species, especially Cherry, Apple, Rowan, Hawthorn, Blackthorn and other trees and shrubs in the Rosaceae family. It is also commonly found on Birch. The mine is long smoothly curved gallery with frass in a central line; older mines look whitish. The larva is long and slender. It has a segmented body and 6 dark feet. The adults fly at night and are attracted to light. The species has two or more broods, with the later ones overwintering and reappearing in the spring. This tiny species attacks a variety of fruit trees including Apple with the larvae forming narrow, winding 'leaf mines'. Common throughout Britain. In the Butterfly Conservation’s Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common. http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidoptera/L.clerkella.htm https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/yponomeutoidea/lyonetiidae/lyonetia/lyonetia-clerkella/lyonetia-clerkella-larva/
Wikipedia reference for Lyonetia clerkella: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyonetia_clerkella.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera
- Family
- Lyonetiidae
- Genus
- Lyonetia
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Gardens and orchards.
Seasonal Activity
The adults fly at night and are attracted to light. The species has two or more broods, with the later ones overwintering and reappearing in the spring.
Diet and Behavior
Life History
This tiny species attacks a variety of fruit trees including Apple with the larvae forming narrow, winding 'leaf mines'.
Additional species information
Recorded status
Common throughout Britain. In the Butterfly Conservation’s Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Lyonetia clerkella. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.
Ecological role of the group
Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.
Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Apple Leaf Miner (3)
Frequently Asked Questions About Apple Leaf Miner
What is Apple Leaf Miner?
Apple Leaf Miner (Lyonetia clerkella) is a species in the family Lyonetiidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Apple Leaf Miner found?
Habitat: Gardens and orchards.
When is Apple Leaf Miner active?
Apple Leaf Miner: seasonal activity - The adults fly at night and are attracted to light. The species has two or more broods, with the later ones overwintering and reappearing in the spring..
What is the life cycle of a Apple Leaf Miner?
This tiny species attacks a variety of fruit trees including Apple with the larvae forming narrow, winding 'leaf mines'.