Coleophoridae

37.055 Heath Case-bearer Coleophora pyrrhulipennella Zeller, 1839

Local

Similar species:

Forewing: 5 to 6.5mm

Habitats: Heathland, moorland and northern bogs.

Habits: The moth is easily disturbed in the day.

Foodplant: The larva feeds on the leaflets of Heather and Bell Heather. The larva does not mine, but at first grazes on the under surface of a leaf. It eventually forms a silk and frass case before moving to the next leaf. The case is now extended with more silk which becomes black. The larva moves on to feeding in the fresh or wilted flowers until the end of October or later, when it overwinters. It feeds in the spring until May when it pupates on a stem pointing up at the same angle as the leaflets or fixed vertically to a high shoot in the sunshine. The final elongate, slightly curved and shining black case has a keel on the underside. The bivalved case is about 9mm long, m.o. at a 25° angle.