Coleophora species feeding on common rock rose.

While searching common rock rose for Mompha miscella mines at Penny Hill Bank I found a Coleophora case-bearing larva actively feeding on the plant. A quick look in the field guide suggested C. ochrea, a new species for VC37. I potted the larva and some of the food plant to rear the adult.

Returning home, with access  to the internet, try as I might I could not convince myself it was C. ochrea, indeed the case was more like that of C. lusciniaepennella, a sallow feeding species, it had clearly not been constructed from the leaves of rock rose.

As the larva moved about I was able to get a ‘head and shoulders’ photograph which ruled out C. ochrea and supported the C. lusciniapennella determination. Was there a sallow close by and had the larva been dislodged from the original food plant and continued to feed on the rock rose where it landed?

Returning to the site a few days later I saw there was a large sallow  just a few feet away from where I found the larva so I now felt certain it had come from there, having been dislodged in the strong winds we had experienced prior to my first visit.

The larva continued to feed in captivity, mining and consuming the contents of 4 rock rose leaves before pupating. The adult emerged on 17^th June, confirming it was C. lusciniapennella.

Patrick Clement

Coleophora lusciniaepennella feeding on common rock rose.

Coleophora lusciniaepennella larva.

Coleophora lusciniaepennella adult.