Coleophora anatipennella

Coleophora anatipennella is a moth of the case-bearer family (Coleophoridae).

Coleophora anatipennella
Coleophora anatipennella female Windmill Hill, Worcestershire, England
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Coleophoridae
Genus:	Coleophora
Species:	C. anatipennella
Binomial name
Coleophora anatipennella (Hübner, 1796)
Synonyms[1]
List Coleophora anatipenella (lapsus) Coleophora tiliella Zeller, 1849 Tinea anatipenella Hübner, 1796 Tinea anatipenella (lapsus) Tinea bernoulliella Goeze, 1783 (but see text) Porrectaria anatipennis Haworth, 1828 Coleophora anatipennella var. obscurella Krulikovskij, 1909 Coleophora albidella Pierce & Metcalfe, 1935 Coleophora ringoniella Oku, 1965 Coleophora malivorella Matsumura, 1905

Taxonomy

It was described by Jacob Hübner in 1796. It is the type species of its genus (Coleophora) and, via that, of its family.^[1]

It is not completely understood to what moth Johann August Ephraim Goeze's 1783 description of the supposedly distinct C. bernoulliella refers to, but it is presumed to be the same species as C. anatipennella.^[1]

Description

Larva

Sloe twig with leaf eaten by the larva and a case attached to the stem

The wingspan is 14–16 mm (0.55–0.63 in). Head white. Antennae white, ringed with pale brownish. Basal joint with rather long tuft. Forewings white, posteriorly sprinkled with brownish. Costal cilia without dark line. Hindwings rather dark grey.^[2][3]

Range and ecology

C. anatipennella is found in Europe eastwards to the Ural Mountains; southeastwards its range extends across Asia Minor to Iran.^[1] It has also been recorded from Japan.

The caterpillars feed mainly on the leaves of Rosaceae and Fagales trees, as well as some others. Recorded host plants are:^[1]

• eurosids I: Rosales: Rosaceae
  • Crataegus (hawthorns)
  • Malus domestica (apple), and possibly other Malus
  • Prunus (cherries, plums and peaches), including wild cherry (Prunus avium), blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), and possibly others
  • Pyrus communis (European pear)
  • Sorbus aucuparia (European rowan), and possibly other Sorbus
• eurosids I: Fagales: Betulaceae
  • Alnus (alders)
  • Betula (birches)
  • Carpinus betulus (European hornbeam)
  • Corylus avellana (common hazel)
• eurosids I: Fagales: Fagaceae
  • Castanea sativa (sweet chestnut)
  • Quercus (oaks)
• eurosids I: Malpighiales: Salicaceae
  • Salix (willows)
• eurosids II: Malvales: Malvaceae
  • Tilia (limes)
• Basal asterids: Cornales: Cornaceae
  • Cornus sanguinea (common dogwood)