Ectoedemia turbidella
This record describes Ectoedemia turbidella (species). Recorded family: Nepticulidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Wingspan about 6 or 7 mm. The adult moths are greyish in ground colour with creamy white forewing patches with an orange or yellowish head tuft and whitish eyecaps, but the species cannot be reliably identified as adults by external characteristics alone. It is more likely to be recorded from the larval mines on the leaves of Grey Poplar (Populus x canescens). The mine starts as a gall in the petiole, where the egg is laid, the larva then feeds outwards into the leaf itself, forming a roughly triangular blotch at the base of the leaf, usually with two diverging areas of frass in a 'V' shape. There are usually two larvae mining a leaf, one on each side of the petiole. Adult Leafmine Adult: A photo is required and gen det may be necessary unless raised from a leafmine on Grey Poplar. Leafmine: Please provide photographs showing the mine as a backlit image and one showing the whole leaf. Please also state the host plant when submitting a record. Adult: A photo is required and gen det may be necessary unless raised from a leafmine on Grey Poplar. Leafmine: Please provide photographs showing the mine as a backlit image and one showing the whole leaf. Please also state the host plant when submitting a record. Adults fly in May and June. The mines can be found in fallen leaves in October. A very local species, but often common where it occurs. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified RDB3. http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidoptera/E.turbidella.htm https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/lepidoptera/monotrysia/nepticuloidea/nepticulidae/ectoedemia/ectoedemia-turbidella/
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera
- Family
- Nepticulidae
- Genus
- Ectoedemia
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Areas where Grey Poplar occurs.
Seasonal Activity
Adults fly in May and June. The mines can be found in fallen leaves in October.
Additional species information
Recorded status
A very local species, but often common where it occurs. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified RDB3.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Ectoedemia turbidella. 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 Ectoedemia turbidella (2)
Frequently Asked Questions About Ectoedemia turbidella
What is Ectoedemia turbidella?
Ectoedemia turbidella is a species in the family Nepticulidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Ectoedemia turbidella found?
Habitat: Areas where Grey Poplar occurs.
When is Ectoedemia turbidella active?
Ectoedemia turbidella: seasonal activity - Adults fly in May and June. The mines can be found in fallen leaves in October..