Coleophora lixella

Coleophora lixella
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Coleophoridae
Genus:	Coleophora
Species:	C. lixella
Binomial name
Coleophora lixella Zeller, 1849[1]

Coleophora lixella is a moth of the Coleophoridae family. It is found in most of Europe. [[Image:Coleophora lixella a plant of Briza media with mined leaf and a larval case attached.JPG|thumb|left|200px|A plant of Briza media with mined leaf and a larval case attached]]

Larva

The wingspan is about 19 mm. Adults have a yellow ground colour with dusky-outlined whitish streaks. They are on wing from July to August.^[2]

The larvae feed on Alopecurus pratensis, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Avena pubescens, Briza media, Bromus hordeaceus, Dactylis glomerata, Elymus, Holcus lanatus, Koeleria and Poa annua. Young larvae eat out the ripe fruit of a thyme floret. The emptied and dried floret functions as the first case, in which hibernation takes place. After hibernation, the larva switches to grasses, initially in its original thyme case. Later, a new case is made out of a mined grass leaf. This case is about 11 mm long, two-valved, straw-coloured and has a mouth angle of about 25°. The case is a composite leaf case.^[3] Larvae can be found from the end of August to the end of May.

References

1. Fauna Europaea
2. UKmoths
3. bladmineerders.nl