Coleophora lineolea
This record describes Coleophora lineolea (species). Recorded family: Coleophoridae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Wingspan 11 to 14.5 mm. The adult moth has yellowish ochre veins. Around its preferred food plants, black horehound and hedge woundwort but it is occasionally found on other Labiates. The adult flight period is from late June to August, sometimes coming to light. The species is quite easily identified at the larval stage by its distinctive case made of rings of mined leaf, fully developed in May. The mines are large and obvious on the upper side of the leaf, betraying the larva or larvae on the lower side. Cased larvae occur from September to May, but are small until March, after the winter diapause. Found mostly in southern England and Wales, but it becomes scarce and local in Cheshire and from south Yorkshire to the northern limit of England. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera
- Family
- Coleophoridae
- Genus
- Coleophora
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Around its preferred food plants, black horehound and hedge woundwort but it is occasionally found on other Labiates.
Seasonal Activity
The adult flight period is from late June to August, sometimes coming to light.
Diet and Behavior
Life History
The species is quite easily identified at the larval stage by its distinctive case made of rings of mined leaf, fully developed in May. The mines are large and obvious on the upper side of the leaf, betraying the larva or larvae on the lower side. Cased larvae occur from September to May, but are small until March, after the winter diapause.
Additional species information
Recorded status
Found mostly in southern England and Wales, but it becomes scarce and local in Cheshire and from south Yorkshire to the northern limit of England. 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 Coleophora lineolea. 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 Coleophora lineolea (10)
Frequently Asked Questions About Coleophora lineolea
What is Coleophora lineolea?
Coleophora lineolea is a species in the family Coleophoridae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Coleophora lineolea found?
Habitat: Around its preferred food plants, black horehound and hedge woundwort but it is occasionally found on other Labiates.
When is Coleophora lineolea active?
Coleophora lineolea: seasonal activity - The adult flight period is from late June to August, sometimes coming to light..
What is the life cycle of a Coleophora lineolea?
The species is quite easily identified at the larval stage by its distinctive case made of rings of mined leaf, fully developed in May. The mines are large and obvious on the upper side of the leaf, betraying the larva or larvae on the lower side. Cased larvae occur from September to May, but are small until March, after the winter diapause.