Food Plant: Eriophorum angustifolium (Cotton-grass)

Mine: September-May

Notes: Mines the stem and lower leaf in the autumn, then overwinters in the mine. In Spring the leaf is mined, initially in the reddish basal part then into the green part of the leaf. The mine is from 20-65mm long. The mine is hidden and frass filled. It then pupates in a cocoon in detritus or in the leaf. The habitat is damp moors, fens and salt marshes. The leaf was backlit to show the larva in the mine; without backlighting the mine is opaque. Adults reared and larvae DNA barcoded to confirm ID.

National Status: pRDB3

Bradley No: 741

Gelechiidae Recording Scheme: link

Data: 07.i.2022, Westhay Moor, Somerset, VC6

Image:© Will Langdon

References:
Emmet AM & Langmaid JR (2002) -The Moths and Butterflies of Great Briatin and Ireland 4(2) Gelechiidae
Gregersen K & Karsholt O (2022) - The Gelechiidae of North-West Europe
Langmaid JR, Plamer SM & Young MR (2018) -A Field guide to the Smaller Moths of Great Britain and Ireland