General information:
Tinea subpurpurella Haworth, 1828: 571. Type locality: England, Coomb Wood [sic] Type: Not designated, syntypes probably in coll. NHM, London.
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Synonyms, misspellings, wrong determinations, etc.: Micropteryx fastuosella Zeller, 1839: 185. Type locality: Silesia, Groß-Glogau (now: Poland, Glogów). Infrasubspecific name. Adela donzelella Duponchel, [1840]: 408. Type locality: Central France. Junior subjective synonym. |
Habit:
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Picture from: Kurz Michael Detailed view |
Picture from: Kurz Michael Detailed view |
Picture from: Kurz Michael Detailed view |
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Description of adults: Examined: 2 ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Remarks: The f. fastuosella has forewings with distinct purple and blue markings, arranged in cross-fasciae. The wing venation seems to be subject to considerable variation (Heath, 1983). |
Distribution:
Following Heath (1983), the species is distributed throughout Europe, except the northernmost regions and the Iberian peninsula. Heath (1996) records the species also for Portugal and Spain. Following Karsholt & Nieukerken (2004), E. subpurpurella has been found throughout Europe except the central Balcans, Belarus, as well as the north and south of European Russia. Dubatolov (2012) records it also from the Ukraine, but from Siberia and the eastern Palaearctic region, it seems to be absent (anonymous 2012, Dubatolov 2012). Only few data are available on the vertical distribution of the species. These data reach from near sea level to 1000 m a.s.l. (Kurz & Kurz 2017).
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Biology:
The adults fly in full sunshine in oak forests and at clearings lined with decidous oaks. At dull weather, they sit at the trunks and branches of the trees. Sometimes, they also come to light at night (Heath 1983). The animals are on the wing from mid April to May (Kurz & Kurz 2017).
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Stages in development:
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Mine on Quercus robur: Upper Austria, Innviertel, Reichersberg, 2011.05.08 | Upper Austria, Innviertel, Reichersberg, 2011.05.08 | Salzburg, Flachgau, Thalgau, Thalgauberg, 1989.05.20, leg. et coll. Michael Kurz | |
Picture from: Kurz Michael Detailed view |
Picture from: Kurz Michael Detailed view |
Picture from: Kurz Michael Detailed view |
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Morphology of preimaginal stages (Heath 1983). Egg. The eggs are deposited on leaf buds of Quercus ssp. Larva. The larva is whitish with a brown head. It feeds in a big, irregular, blotch-like mine in leaves of oak from May till July. Full-grown, it leaves the mine and spins a rough cocoon in the soil. Pupa. The pupa hibernates. |
Anatomy:
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Scheme of ![]() |
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Scheme of ![]() |
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Picture from: © Zagulayev 1978 Detailed view |
Picture from: Kurz Michael Detailed view |
Picture from: © Zagulayev 1978 Detailed view |
Picture from: Kurz Michael Detailed view |
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Picture from: Kurz Michael Detailed view |
Picture from: Kurz Michael Detailed view |
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Pregenital abdomen. Sternite V on both sides with a big, oval, weakly sclerotized spot each with comb-like surface (sensoric organ); females with additional, similar spots also on both sides of sternite IV, but these spots only one third the size of the spots on sternite V.
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Diagnosis:
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E. subpurpurella ![]() |
E. sparrmannella ![]() |
E. subpurpurella ![]() |
E. sparrmannella ![]() |
Picture from: Kurz Michael Detailed view |
Picture from: Kurz Michael Detailed view |
Picture from: Kurz Michael Detailed view |
Picture from: Kurz Michael Detailed view |
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E. subpurpurella ![]() |
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Picture from: Kurz Michael Detailed view |
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E. subpurpurella, especially its form fastuosella, is externally quite similar to Eriocrania (Eriocrania) sparrmannella (Bosc, 1791), although its wings are distinctly more elongate and its antennae are distinctly longer than half of the forwing length. The genitalia of both sexes of E. subpurpurella are quite characteristic. The males are best recognized by the shape of their valvae, the females by their strongly sclerotized sternite VIII. |
Worth knowing:
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Sources:
anonymous 2012. An Identification Guide of Japanese Moths Compiled by Everyone. URL: http://www.jpmoth.org [online 04 November 2012]. Dubatolov, V. V. 2012. Collection of Siberian Zoological Museum: Eriocraniidae. http://szmn.sbras.ru/Lepidop/Eriocran.htm [online 04 November 2012]. Duponchel, P. A. J. [1838–1840]. Nocturnes, 8. – In: J.-B. Godart, Histoire Naturelle des Lépidoptères ou Papillons de France 11. – Paris, Méquignon-Marvis. 720 pp., pls 287–314. Haworth, A. H. 1828. Lepidoptera Britannica, sistens digestionem novam insectorum lepidopterorum quae in Magna Britannia reperiuntur, lavarum pabulo, temporeque pascendi; expansione alarum; mensibusque volandi; synonymis atque locis observationibusque variis. Part 4. Londini, pp. 513–609. Heath, J. 1983. The moths and butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol.I: Micropterigidae – Heliozelidae. – Harley Books, Martins, Great Horkesley, Colchester, Essex. Heath, J. 1996. Family Micropterigidae – In: O. Karsholt & J. Razowski (eds), The Lepidoptera of Europa. A distributional checklist. – Apollo-Books, Stenstrup. Karsholt, O. 2004. Families Acanthopteroctetidae, Axiidae, Castniidae, Cossidae, Drepanidae, Eriocottidae, Eriocraniidae, Gelechiidae, Heterogynidae, Limacodidae, Lypusidae, Micropterigidae, Roeslerstammiidae, Somabrachyidae, Uraniidae. In: Karsholt, O. & E. J. van Nieukerken (eds.). Lepidoptera, Moths. – Fauna Europaea version 1.1, http://www.faunaeur.org [online 22 January 2009]. Kaltenbach, Th. & P.V. Küppers (1987): Kleinschmetterlinge: beobachten - bestimmen, Neumann-Neudamm, Melsungen Kurz, M. A. & M. E. Kurz 2000–2017. Naturkundliches Informationssystem. – URL: http://www.nkis.info [online 7 March 2017]. 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 Zeller, P. C. 1839. Versuch einer naturgemäßen Eintheilung der Schaben. – Isis, Leipzig [32]: 167–219. |
Publication data:
history: Kurz Michael: 2009.03.26 Kurz Michael: 2009.05.11 Kurz Michael: 2012.11.03 Kurz Michael: 2012.11.04 Kurz Michael: 2012.11.26 Kurz Michael: 2013.07.04 Kurz Michael: 2014.02.16 Kurz Michael: 2015.10.19 Kurz Michael: 2017.03.07 Kurz Michael: 2017.03.08 |
not reviewed |
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