Bucculatrix bechsteinella
This record describes Bucculatrix bechsteinella (species). Recorded family: Bucculatricidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Bucculatrix bechsteinella is a small moth with a wingspan of 7 to 9 mm. It is pale buff with brown markings. The leafmine produced by the larva is usually on Hawthorn, and is small and in a vein axil, with blackish frass. The exit gallery is clear, and angular in shape. Leafmines can resemble early mines of Stigmella species, or Paraswammerdamia nebulella (ref.: British leafminers) Clear backlit photos of mine, including exit gallery The adults emerge in May and early June. The larvae of this species feed in July and August, initially mining the leaves of Crataegus, Pyrus, Malus or Sorbus species, in a short, contorted gallery. As the larva develops it leaves the mine to feed externally, creating windows on the upperside of the leaves. Pupation occurs in a ribbed white cocoon spun on debris. The winter is passed in this stage. Found locally throughout England and southern Scotland. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local. http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidoptera/B.bechsteinella.htm https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/gracillarioidea/bucculatricidae/bucculatrix/bucculatrix-bechsteinella/
Wikipedia reference for Bucculatrix bechsteinella: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucculatrix_bechsteinella.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera
- Family
- Bucculatricidae
- Genus
- Bucculatrix
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
The moth occurs in well wooded areas.
Seasonal Activity
The adults emerge in May and early June.
Diet and Behavior
Life History
The larvae of this species feed in July and August, initially mining the leaves of Crataegus, Pyrus, Malus or Sorbus species, in a short, contorted gallery. As the larva develops it leaves the mine to feed externally, creating windows on the upperside of the leaves. Pupation occurs in a ribbed white cocoon spun on debris. The winter is passed in this stage.
Additional species information
Recorded status
Found locally throughout England and southern Scotland. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Bucculatrix bechsteinella. 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 Bucculatrix bechsteinella (3)
Frequently Asked Questions About Bucculatrix bechsteinella
What is Bucculatrix bechsteinella?
Bucculatrix bechsteinella is a species in the family Bucculatricidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Bucculatrix bechsteinella found?
Habitat: The moth occurs in well wooded areas.
When is Bucculatrix bechsteinella active?
Bucculatrix bechsteinella: seasonal activity - The adults emerge in May and early June..
What is the life cycle of a Bucculatrix bechsteinella?
The larvae of this species feed in July and August, initially mining the leaves of Crataegus, Pyrus, Malus or Sorbus species, in a short, contorted gallery. As the larva develops it leaves the mine to feed externally, creating windows on the upperside of the leaves. Pupation occurs in a ribbed white cocoon spun on debris. The winter is passed in this stage.