Case Moth 8mm

JRsbugs · #1 (**permalink**) 29-11-2010, 05:23 PM

Hi,

Found on a Hebe leaf on 22nd November. Does anyone have an idea which moth it could be?

Janet

Wild-Woman · #2 (**permalink**) 29-11-2010, 06:28 PM

Interesting Janet. I've only ever seen these on tree leaves. I know them as bagworms but that's about it really.

theresa dockery · #3 (**permalink**) 29-11-2010, 07:21 PM

It may belong to a member of the Coleophoridae.

This link has some good photos:
Betula [Betulaceae]

You can browse by host-plant, which is very useful. I can't find Hebe on there, but maybe it has British relatives?

Coleophora milvipennis looks strikingly similar, but there are many in this genus.

JRsbugs · #4 (**permalink**) 29-11-2010, 09:04 PM

Jules, I had one at the base of my west wall last year but it was different. I came up with a possible name for that, one which used rose leaves which was nearby, I named it Coleophora gryphipennella.

Theresa, that looks spot on! I'm struggling to think where any Alder or Birch trees are nearby but there is Hazel, too far away though. I have a couple of fig trees in pots nearby, all sorts of things but it's on Hebe. It's under the edge of an apple tree but also near a Horse Chestnut tree which isn't mentioned but maybe it fell off.

Quote:

8-11 mm long, with a slight curve at the rear end, that is keeled and often toothed. The end is laterally compressed. Mouth angle 45°.

That all fits nicely! I checked last years moth pics, I had one which looks very similar to Coleophora milvipennis that I had named Tischeria ekebladella but that looks correct. UK Moths don't have any pics of Coleophora milvipennis (photos required).

I am in a heathland and open woodland area, and there are a few birch trees around but not quite where it was found.

Coleophora milvipennis - Norfolk Micro Moths - The micro moths of Norfolk.

Looking at the photo of the case on Hants Moths it does look narrower than mine, in fact it fits the description better than the one shown on the Leaf Miners site.

Hants Moths - 0496 Coleophora milvipennis

Mine does look more rounded, more searching required I think.

Aha! Hebe belongs to the Family Plantaginaceae which includes Plantain! Wierd..

There's plenty of that about.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebe_(genus) (this link doesn't come up)

Plantaginaceae - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

JRsbugs · #5 (**permalink**) 29-11-2010, 09:24 PM

I bet it came off the apple tree, look at Coleophora coracipennella.

Hants Moths - 0494 Coleophora coracipennella

Malus [Rosaceae]

theresa dockery · #6 (**permalink**) 29-11-2010, 10:53 PM

Hants Moths mentions that the cases of C. spinella, C.coracipennella & C.prunifoliae can't be distinguished....

...but looking at the photos on 'ukflymines': C.coracipennella definitely seems to be the closest match.

(I was unable to find a photo for C.prunifoliae , which could still be a remote possibility if you live in southern England?).

I would never have thought that Hebe was related to Plantain: plant phylogenies are just strange

JRsbugs · #7 (**permalink**) 29-11-2010, 11:32 PM

This is what it states on ukflymines:

Quote:

The larva overwinters in its case before resuming feeding in spring. A new case, 6-7 mm long, is then constructed from a further blotch mine (UKMoths). The second case is indistinguishable from C. spinella and C.prunifoliae

So it's only the second (spring) case which is indistinguishable, if you click on the link under the pic there is a good shot of C.coracipennella which looks spot on. It was raised and identified.

New species page

theresa dockery · #8 (**permalink**) 30-11-2010, 12:47 AM

Confusingly, below the photo it says:

Quote:

In the second case (as shown) C.coracipennella is indistinguishable from C.spinella and C.prunifoliae

...

If that's the case then why didn't they show a photo of the 'distinguishable case' rather than the 'indistinguishable case'...

(Apologies for confusing things, I should go to bed - my brain is scrambled)

I think you've definitely identified it anyway.
I'm always glad when things don't need to be dissected

I photographed some Ermines over the summer, but I suspect they're a lost cause ID-wise...

JRsbugs · #9 (**permalink**) 30-11-2010, 01:09 AM

Quote:

If that's the case then why didn't they show a photo of the 'distinguishable case' rather than the 'indistinguishable case'...

I had to read that several times, time I went to bed too.

The answer could be that they didn't have a first case?

There is still some doubt I guess..

Which Ermines did you photograph? Oh, lost cause..

theresa dockery · #10 (**permalink**) 30-11-2010, 01:51 AM

The problem with this site is that it's too addictive!

It causes me to stay up well past my bed-time...

I will try to post a thread soon with photos of any unidentified micros from the summer and let my fellow Wabbers have a crack at them - although I don't hold out too much hope for the ermines.