Coleophoridae

37.049 Pistol Case-bearer Coleophora anatipennella (Hübner, 1796)

Local

Similar species:

Forewing: 5.5 to 8mm

Habitats: Deciduous woodland and margins, rides and clearings, scrub, hedgerows, old quarries and wasteland.

Habits: The moth comes to light.

Foodplant: The larva feeds on Blackthorn, Hawthorns, apples, Pear, Wild Plum, Wild Cherry and occasionally Rowan. The young larva mines a leaf then makes a tiny black case from frass piled above a mine. It then peppers an area of the leaf with tiny blotch mines. After overwintering it mines the leaf and later expands its case while eating windows in the leaves. The final shining black pistol case is about 7mm long, m.o. at a 70° to 80°angle. It pupates on a stem or a leaf surface.

On the European mainland it has also been recorded feeding on Alder, Hornbeam, Hazel, Sweet Chestnut, Crab Apple and Dogwood.