A note on the history and larvae of Levipalpus hepatariella (Lienig & Zeller, 1846) (Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae) and Dichomeris juniperella (Linnaeus, 1761) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in the British Isles

摘要

In June 2001 Dr J. R. Langmaid and I found larvae, and bred moths, of Levipalpus hepatariella (Lienig & Zeller, 1846) at Newtonmore, East Inverness-shire (V.C. 96), and Dichomeris juniperella (Linnaeus, 1761) at Crathie and Rinabaich, both South Aberdeenshire (V.C. 92) and both new sites for that species. Hitherto the larva of the former had not been observed in the British Isles. Indeed it was not known from continental Europe until 1987 when it was discovered in Denmark on Antennaria dioica (L.) Gaertner, and I am not aware that it has been noted elsewhere since. The Danish description of its feeding habits differs from the observations that Dr Langmaid and I made. It does not appear that the larva of D. juniperella has been recorded in the British Isles for about 150 years; the larval description given by Meyrick ([1928]: 647) is wrong.