LepidopteraGracillariidae

Phyllonorycter quercifoliella

This record describes Phyllonorycter quercifoliella (species). Recorded family: Gracillariidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.

Identification and Appearance

Phyllonorycter quercifoliella - Phyllonorycter quercifoliella

Wingspan 7 to 9 mm. At first glance the adult can appear devoid of markings, but on closer scrutiny, the pale greyish strigulae can be seen, as can the diagnostic basal streak, which usually extends more than half the forewing length. The leaf mines on oak can be searched for from late autumn through winter, and it is relatively easy to rear the adult. The species is difficult to identify from the mine alone, but the pupa has a distinctive arrangements of hooks at the very end, known as the 'cremaster'. There is a key and description of these on Bladmineerders.nl (see 'Further Information' link below) and photos at https://mothdissection.co.uk/species.php?Tx=Phyllonorycter_quercifoliella Photograph adult, or frass covered cocoon when recording leafmine, or mine and pupal cremaster. The moths are on the wing in April and May, and again in August and September. The larval mine is a small blotch on the underside of a leaf of Oak. Probably the commonest of the oak-feeding Phyllonorycters , this species is frequent throughout most 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/P.quercifoliella.htm https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/gracillarioidea/gracillariidae/lithocolletinae/phyllonorycter/phyllonorycter-quercifoliella/

Classification

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

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

Habitat and Range

Habitat

Areas where Oak is plentiful.

Seasonal Activity

The moths are on the wing in April and May, and again in August and September.

Diet and Behavior

Life History

The larval mine is a small blotch on the underside of a leaf of Oak.

Additional species information

Recorded status

Probably the commonest of the oak-feeding

About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group

Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Phyllonorycter quercifoliella. 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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