Family Eriocraniidae - Eriocraniid Moths

Classification · Other Common Names · Numbers · Identification · Range · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Internet References · Works Cited

Chinquapin Leaf-miner - Dyseriocrania griseocapitella

Bur oak leaf mine - Dyseriocrania griseocapitella

eriocraniid - Dyseriocrania griseocapitella

Eriocraniid Moth - Hodges #0013.3 - Eriocraniella mediabulla

St. Andrews leaf miner on Quercus nigra SA328 2016 3 - Dyseriocrania griseocapitella

purple lacewing? - Eriocrania semipurpurella

Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)

Superfamily Eriocranioidea (Eriocraniid Moths)

Family Eriocraniidae (Eriocraniid Moths)

Other Common Names

Sparkling Archaic Sun Moths (Encyclopedia of Entomology)

Numbers

13 species in 4 genera in North America

Identification

Adults - small with narrow wings, iridescent, often golden with purplish markings (1)

Larvae - leggless miners in newly expanded leaves, forming baggy full-depth mines (1)

Range

Holarctic

Food

leaf miners of birch and oak (1)

Life Cycle

Leaf miners that pupate in soil (1)

Their eggs hatch before tree leaves completely form, harden, and produce repelling tannins. The larvae feed between the epidermal layers, maturing in 2 weeks. Once mature, they drop to the ground and spin a cocoon in the soil where they overwinter.(2)

They have a novel way of escaping their cocoons. These moths are have large jaws and chew through the tough, silken cocoons. They emerge with a crown of long, disheveled scales.(2)

Remarks

Prefer flying in daylight rather than at night.(2)

Internet References

British Lepidoptera

EoL

Wikipedia

Works Cited

1.	Moths of Western North America Powell and Opler. 2009. UC Press.

2.	Hidden Company that Trees Keep: Life from Treetops to Root Tips James B. Nardi. 2023. Princeton University Press.

Contributed by A.W. Thomas on 28 April, 2005 - 8:47am
Additional contributions by john and jane balaban, Beatriz Moisset, Robin McLeod, Maury Heiman, ceiseman, Randy Hardy, Marci Hess, Kyhl Austin
Last updated 23 September, 2023 - 10:18am

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