Ectoedemia sp. from SE Finland

Three mines were found on Rubus saxatilis on 6.10.2002 from Kl:Parikkala, south-eastern Finland. The biotope is a sunny, hot and rocky old field with generally low vegetation.

The reared adults, all females, turned out to be Ectoedemias (by collar scales etc.) with orange head, white eye caps, and about 28 antenna segments. The wings are light grey with darker outer parts, no clear fascia, and two kinds of scales overall (white and blackish-brownish). To my inexperienced eye, the moths look like Stigmella benanderella or S. zelleriella in the Ent. Scand. book. But in live they look quite a lot as E. argyropeza, although with less distinct white spots, lighter grey ground color, and at least sometimes with distinctly dark distal parts of wings. I'll add photos soon.

The specimens were reared in a pot with moss at the bottom, so the possibility of an error should be kept in mind. E. argyropeza and other species were reared at the same time in over ten similar pots without any surprises, however.



(The images behind the thumbnails are quite large and may take time to download.)


Janne Sinkkonen
May 19, 2003