Eriocrania chrysolepidella

Eriocrania chrysolepidella
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Eriocraniidae
Genus:	Eriocrania
Species:	E. chrysolepidella
Binomial name
Eriocrania chrysolepidella (Zeller, 1851)
Synonyms[1]
Micropteryx chrysolepidella Zeller, 1851 Paracrania chrysolepidella Heringocrania chrysolepidella

Eriocrania chrysolepidella (also known as the small hazel purple) is a moth of the family Eriocraniidae found in Europe. It was first described by the German entomologist, Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1851. The larvae mine the leaves of hazel and hornbeam.

Description

The wingspan is about 9–13 mm.[2] The head is black-brown with sparse, mixed brown and beige hair-like scales on the head The forewings are golden bronze with light gold and copper to purple scales, forming a reticulate pattern distad There is, basally of the tornus, an indistinct golden spot.[3] The moth flies in April.[4] [5]

Similar species

Eriocrania cicatricella flies around birch trees (Betula species) in April and can be distinguished from E. chrysolepidella by the differences in genitalia.[2]

Ovum

The egg is usually laid in the leaf-bud of hornbeam (Carpinus species) or hazel (Corylus species).[6]

Larva

Larvae have a white body with a pale-brown head and may have a pair of brown spots on the pronotum.[7][8] They mine the leaves, starting at the edge of a leaf, then form a large white blotch and there are often several larvae in a mine. The frass is described as either in long threads or can be granular and clumped together.[9] Host species include; green alder (Alnus viridis), hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), hazel (Corylus avellana) and hop-hornbeam (Ostrya species).[7]

Pupa

Larvae pupate in the soil in a tough, silken cocoon.[2]

Distribution

It is found in Europe, from Finland to the Pyrenees and Italy, and from Ireland to Romania.[1]

Etymology

In 1851, Philipp Christoph Zeller named the moth Micropteryx chrysolepidella from a specimen found in Vienna, Austria. The moth was later put in the genus Erioncrania. Erion refers to wool and kranion means the upper part of the head, which literally means woolly-headed, i.e. rough-haired, referring to the scales on the top of the head. The moth is also put in the genus Paracrania by some authorities. Para ″contrary to (as in a paradox)″ and kranion as above. The specific name refers to golden ground colour of the forewing – from the Greek khruson gold and lepis or lepidos ″a scale from the golden ground colour of the forewing″.[10][11]

References

1. "Paracrania chrysolepidella (Zeller, 1851)". Fauna Europaea. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
2. Heath, John (1983). Eriocraniidae. In The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland. Volume 1. Colchester: Harley Books. pp. 156–160. ISBN 0-946589-15-1.
3. Kurz, M.A. (2017) Redescription of Eriocrania (Paracrania) chrysolepidella (Zeller, 1851) Taxonomy online
4. Kimber, Ian. "Paracrania chrysolepidella (Zeller, 1851)". UKmoths. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
5. Zagulajev, A.K. 1978. Eriocraniidae; in G.S. Medvedev (ed.): Keys to the insects of the europaean part of the USSR, Vol.IV: Lepidoptera, part 1 (english translation), Oxonian Press Pvt.Ltd., New Dehli, 1987
6. Emmet, A M, ed. (1988). A Field Guide to the Smaller British Lepidoptera (Second ed.). London: British Entomological and Natural History Society. p. 16.
7. "Paracrania chrysolepidella (Zeller, 1851) [Lepidoptera: Eriocraniidae] Small Hazel Purple". UKflymines. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
8. Ellis, W N. "Paracrania chrysolepidella larva". Plant Parasites of Europe. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
9. Ellis, W N. "Paracrania chrysolepidella (Zeller, 1851) small hazel purple". Plant Parasites of Europe. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
10. Smith, Frank. "Microlepidoptera (Micro-Moths)" (PDF). Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Federation for Biological Recorders. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
11. Emmet, A Maitland (1991). The Scientific Names of the British Lepidoptera. Their history and meaning. Colchester: Harley Books. pp. 42 & 59. ISBN 0-946589-35-6.

External links

• Swedish Moths
• UKmoths
• British Lepidoptera
• Lepiforum de