Phyllonorycter rajella

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

Identification and Appearance

Phyllonorycter rajella - Phyllonorycter rajella

Wingspan 7 to 9 mm. A variable species, some specimens appearing very dark and some much paler. There is a broad whitish basal streak which is usually quite obvious. The larva mines the leaves of several species of Alder, creating an oval tentiform mine with a sharp crease on the under-surface. The larva is greenish, and pupates in a frass-encrusted cocoon inside the mine. This is visible as two dark lines either side of pupa. Several other Phyllonorycter mine Alder leaves, and if the under-surface crease is not fully developed it can look similar to P klemannella. If in doubt, check pupa (ref. Bladmineerders.nl) Photograph the underside of the mature mine Areas where the larval foodplant is present. Adults fly in two generations; in May and again in August. The larvae feed on Alder including Italian Alder It is quite a common species throughout the British Isles. In the Butterfly Conservations Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common. http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidoptera/P.rajella4.htm

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 the larval foodplant is present.

Seasonal Activity

Adults fly in two generations; in May and again in August.

Diet and Behavior

Life History

The larvae feed on Alder including Italian Alder

Additional species information

Recorded status

It is quite a common species throughout the British Isles. In the Butterfly Conservations Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common.

About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group

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