LepidopteraGracillariidae

Caloptilia cuculipennella

This record describes Caloptilia cuculipennella (species). Recorded family: Gracillariidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.

Identification and Appearance

Caloptilia cuculipennella - Caloptilia cuculipennella

Feature	Description
Wingspan	Wingspan c.12 mm. The posterior tibiae are smooth above.
Forewings	Forewings are whitish, with numerous ochreous or brown strigulae finely irrorated with black ; an oblique fascia near base hardly reaching costa, a second before middle hardly reaching dorsum, a third beyond middle interrupted in disc, and a costal spot at 3/4 ochreous or brownish, finely spotted with black.
Hindwings	Hindwings are dark grey. The larva mines the leaves of Ash and Privet. On Ash, the larva makes a thin silvery gallery mine on the upper leaf surface which causes a slight upward fold of the leaf-edge. It then leaves the mine and feeds inside a cone caused by a double leaf-fold at the tip, eventually pupating inside. Larval stage: photograph leafmine and fold, or leaf cone The larvae initially create a mine on either Privet or Ash, and then form two successive cones by rolling a leaf. Although having a fairly wide distribution over much of the British Isles, this was previously regarded as a scarce species. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as Nationally Scarce A. It would seem that this species may be beoming more frequent in recent years. http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidoptera/C.cuculipennella.htm https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/gracillarioidea/gracillariidae/gracillariinae/caloptilia/caloptilia-cuculipennella/

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Gracillariidae
Genus: Caloptilia

Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.

Habitat and Range

Seasonal Activity

Adult July-September.

Diet and Behavior

Life History

The larvae initially create a mine on either Privet or Ash, and then form two successive cones by rolling a leaf.

Additional species information

Recorded status

Although having a fairly wide distribution over much of the British Isles, this was previously regarded as a scarce species. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as Nationally Scarce A. It would seem that this species may be beoming more frequent in recent years.

About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group

Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Caloptilia cuculipennella. 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.

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