Laburnum Leaf Miner
Leucoptera laburnella
This record describes Leucoptera laburnella (species). Recorded family: Lyonetiidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Wingspan 7 to 9 mm. A small but very attractive mainly white moth. The larvae mine Laburnum leaves, beginning with a narrow gallery abruptly widening into a large blotch marked with concentric arcs of frass. Leafmine occurs on Laburnum (occasionally on Lupin). Backlit photo of the mine; state host species in comments It tends to inhabit suburban areas where Laburnum is grown in gardens, and in conjunction with a couple of dipterous species, can discolour the leaves with its mines. The larva mines the leaves of Laburnum, including hybrids, and occasionally Dyer's Greenweed. The mine is initially a brown spot, turning via a green frass-filled gallery into a pale blotch with a spiral of black frass. Distributed widely and fairly commonly throughout much of the British Isles. In the Butterfly Conservation’s Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common. http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidoptera/L.laburnella.htm https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/yponomeutoidea/lyonetiidae/leucoptera/leucoptera-laburnella/
Wikipedia reference for Leucoptera laburnella: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leucoptera_laburnella.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Yponomeutoidea
- Family
- Lyonetiidae (Lyonet Moths)
- Subfamily
- Cemiostominae
- Genus
- Leucoptera
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
It tends to inhabit suburban areas where Laburnum is grown in gardens, and in conjunction with a couple of dipterous species, can discolour the leaves with its mines.
Seasonal Activity
May to August.
Diet and Behavior
Life History
The larva mines the leaves of Laburnum, including hybrids, and occasionally Dyer's Greenweed. The mine is initially a brown spot, turning via a green frass-filled gallery into a pale blotch with a spiral of black frass.
Additional species information
Recorded status
Distributed widely and fairly commonly throughout much of the British Isles. 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 Leucoptera laburnella. 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 Laburnum Leaf Miner (2)
Frequently Asked Questions About Laburnum Leaf Miner
What is Laburnum Leaf Miner?
Laburnum Leaf Miner (Leucoptera laburnella) is a species in the family Lyonetiidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Laburnum Leaf Miner found?
Habitat: It tends to inhabit suburban areas where Laburnum is grown in gardens, and in conjunction with a couple of dipterous species, can discolour the leaves with its mines.
When is Laburnum Leaf Miner active?
Laburnum Leaf Miner: seasonal activity - May to August..
What is the life cycle of a Laburnum Leaf Miner?
The larva mines the leaves of Laburnum, including hybrids, and occasionally Dyer's Greenweed. The mine is initially a brown spot, turning via a green frass-filled gallery into a pale blotch with a spiral of black frass.