| White-legged Case-bearer (Coleophora albitarsella (Zeller, 1849)) |
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Scientific name: Coleophora albitarsella (Zeller, 1849) Common name: White-legged Case-bearer French name: Order: Lepidoptera Suborder: Microlepidoptera Family: Coleophoridae Subfamily: Wingspan: 10-13 mm. Biotope: Open and shady places where the host plants grow. Geographic area: Europe, missing in Ireland and Greece. Flight time: Mid June to August Number of generations : 1 Caterpillar: The larval sheath, approximately 9 mm long, is shiny blackish brown. It is narrow and slightly curved. It is made of rolled up pieces of leaves. The anal end is slightly flattened and has a yellowish keel-shaped growth on the underside. These sheaths are generally found under the leaves. The caterpillars move towards harder surfaces, rocks, posts, walls, to pupate. Host plant: Many Lamiaceae including Thymes (Thymus spp), Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum), Wild Basil (Clinopodium vulgare), Ground-ivy (Glechoma hederacea), Gypsywort (Lycopus europaeus), Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis), Bastard Balm (Melittis melissophyllum), water Mint (Mentha aquatica), Wild Mint (Mentha arvensis), Catnip (Nepeta cataria), Oregano (Orignanum vulgare), Common Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris), Meadow Clary (Salvia pratensis) among others. |
Members of the Coleophora genus are small micro-moths with elongated wings, antennae pointed forward, sometimes thickened at the base, and labial palps erected forward. The inner edge of the thin forewings is fringed towards the apex. The very narrow hindwings bear a fringe of long bristles. The caterpillars initially develop in the seeds, flowers or leaves of the host plants and then take refuge in a larval sheath, made of silk and plant debris, the characteristics of which depend on the species. The White-legged Case-bearer has dark grey wings. The antennae are dark and thickened at the base then finely ringed in dark and light. They are longer on females. The tarsi are white as the scientific name and common name indicate. The tibias and the base of the femurs are also white on males. Other species have similar characteristics and examination of the genitalia is required to reliably determine the species. The White-legged Case-bearer overwinters as a caterpillar at an intermediate stage of development. It continues to grow from March. |
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I found this larval sheath on the wall of an old farm. It has the typical shape of the larval sheaths of White-legged Case-bearer (Coleophora albitarsella). Based on the date, pupation and emergence of the imago must already be done. |
André Bon March 2024