Eriocrania chrysolepidella
{{short description|Moth species in family Eriocraniidae}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Paracrania chrysolepidella BE-MK-7-15a.jpg
| image_caption =
| genus = Eriocrania
| species = chrysolepidella
| authority = (Zeller, 1851)
| synonyms =
- 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.{{cite book |last1=Heath |first1=John |author1-link=John Heath (entomologist) |title=Eriocraniidae. In The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland. Volume 1 |date=1983 |publisher=Harley Books |location=Colchester |isbn=0-946589-15-1 |pages=156–160}} 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.[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315493318_Eriocrania_Paracrania_chrysolepidella_Zeller_1851 Kurz, M.A. (2017) Redescription of Eriocrania (Paracrania) chrysolepidella (Zeller, 1851) Taxonomy online] The moth flies in April.{{cite web |last1=Kimber |first1=Ian |title=Paracrania chrysolepidella (Zeller, 1851) |url=https://ukmoths.org.uk/species/paracrania-chrysolepidella/ |website=UKmoths |access-date=20 January 2022}} 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
;Similar species
Eriocrania cicatricella flies around birch trees (Betula species) in April and can be distinguished from E. chrysolepidella by the differences in genitalia.
;Ovum
The egg is usually laid in the leaf-bud of hornbeam (Carpinus species) or hazel (Corylus species).{{cite book |editor1-last=Emmet |editor1-first=A M |editor1-link=A. Maitland Emmet |title=A Field Guide to the Smaller British Lepidoptera |date=1988 |publisher=British Entomological and Natural History Society |location=London |page=16 |edition=Second}}
;Larva
Larvae have a white body with a pale-brown head and may have a pair of brown spots on the pronotum.{{cite web |title=Paracrania chrysolepidella (Zeller, 1851) [Lepidoptera: Eriocraniidae] Small Hazel Purple |url=http://www.ukflymines.co.uk/Moths/Eriocrania_chrysolepidella.php |website=UKflymines |access-date=17 January 2022}}{{cite web |last1=Ellis |first1=W N |title=Paracrania chrysolepidella larva |url=https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/lepidoptera/glossata/eriocraniidae/paracrania/paracrania-chrysolepidella/paracrania-chrysolepidella-larva/ |website=Plant Parasites of Europe |access-date=17 January 2022}} 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.{{cite web |last1=Ellis |first1=W N |title=Paracrania chrysolepidella (Zeller, 1851) small hazel purple |url=https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/lepidoptera/glossata/eriocraniidae/paracrania/paracrania-chrysolepidella/ |website=Plant Parasites of Europe |access-date=17 January 2022}} Host species include; green alder (Alnus viridis), hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), hazel (Corylus avellana) and hop-hornbeam (Ostrya species).
;Pupa
Larvae pupate in the soil in a tough, silken cocoon.
Distribution
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″.{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Frank |title=Microlepidoptera (Micro-Moths) |url=https://cisfbr.org.uk/MICRO%20DEMO%201.pdf |website=Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Federation for Biological Recorders |access-date=18 January 2022}}{{cite book |last1=Emmet |first1=A Maitland |author1-link=A. Maitland Emmet |title=The Scientific Names of the British Lepidoptera. Their history and meaning |date=1991 |publisher=Harley Books |location=Colchester |isbn=0-946589-35-6 |pages=42 & 59}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Paracrania chrysolepidella}}
- [http://www2.nrm.se/en/svenska_fjarilar/e/eriocrania_chrysolepidella.html Swedish Moths]
- [https://ukmoths.org.uk/species/paracrania-chrysolepidella/adult/ UKmoths]
- [https://britishlepidoptera.weebly.com/02-eriocraniidae.html British Lepidoptera]
- [https://lepiforum.org/wiki/page/Paracrania_chrysolepidella Lepiforum de]
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1762129}}