Coleophoridae

37.029 Dusky Case-bearer Coleophora orbitella Zeller, 1849

Notable B

Similar species:

Forewing: 5 to 6.5mm

Habitats: Birch woodland, Alder carr, heathland scrub and birch stands.

Habits: The moth flies in the late afternoon in Scotland otherwise it is mainly nocturnal.

Foodplant: The larva mines the leaves of Silver Birch and Alder and occasionally Hazel and Hornbeam. The case is made of two pieces of full-depth leaf mine that are neatly fitted together, the older piece has gone grey by the time the second piece is attached, giving it a two-tone effect before the full-fed larva goes into hibernation in September or October. By the spring the case is a dark grey-brown all over, with a rounded projection towards the middle on its underside. No material is added to the case after hibernation. It pupates attached to a twig.