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Phyllonorycter blancardella

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Kingdom
  
Class
  
Family
  
Rank
  
Species

Phylum
  
Order
  
Subfamily
  
Lithocolletinae


Scientific name
  
Phyllonorycter blancardella

Similar
  
Phyllonorycter, Phyllonorycter corylifoliella, Lyonetia clerkella, Gracillariidae, Leucoptera

The spotted tentiform leafminer (Phyllonorycter blancardella) is a moth of the Gracillariidae family. It is known from all of Europe, east to Ukraine and central Anatolia. It is also known throughout North America including Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, Wisconsin and California.

Phyllonorycter blancardella Phyllonorycter blancardella UKMoths

The wingspan is 6–9 mm. Adults emerge in May and again in August in two generations in western Europe.

The larvae feed on Malus angustifolia, Malus x astracanica, Malus baccata, Malus coronaria, Malus domestica, Malus floribunda, Malus fusca, Malus ringo, Malus x robusta and Malus sylvestris. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine has the form of a lower surface tentiform mine. The epidermis is yellow-green and has some folds. Pupation takes place within the mine. The pupa is amber or chestnut brown, and is made within a white cocoon.

Phyllonorycter blancardella Phyllonorycter blancardella UKMoths

Control

The spotted tentiform leafminer is a serious pest of various apple species (Malus), along with the apple blotch leafminer moth (Phyllonorycter crataegella) and others. Infestation may result in reduced crop yield. Both species, like many other pests, show an increasing resistance to organophosphate and synthetic pyrethroid insecticides.

Phyllonorycter blancardella Phyllonorycter blancardella Phyllonorycter blancardella NatureSpot

Two species of very small wasps, the eulophid Sympiesis marylandensis and the braconid Pholetesor ornigis are parasites of both P. blancardella and P. crataegella. Biological control includes reducing the use of broad spectrum insecticides, helping these and other parasitoids to flourish and reduce leaf miner damage. Mulching fallen leaves may also allow fragments to be pulled underground by earthworms.

Phyllonorycter blancardella AgroAtlas Pests Phyllonorycter blancardella Fabricius

Phyllonorycter blancardella Phyllonorycter blancardella

References

Phyllonorycter blancardella Wikipedia