Orchestes jota (Fabricius, 1787)
on Alnus, Betula, Myrica
Betula pubescens, Belgium, prov. Antwerp, Mol, Donk © Carina Van Steenwinkel
mine with cocoon
cocoon
Betula pubescens, Tilburg, Kaaistoep
Betula pubescens, Tilburg, Kaaistoep
Myrica gale, UK © Rob Edmunds
Populus nigra, Hungary, Mosonmagyaróvár © László Érsek; see below about the identification.
frass pattern
larve
mine
Oviposition in the midrib. From there a corridor enters the lamina which suddenly and strongly widens. According to Hering (1957a) this blotch part is situated against the leaf margin, and in the distal part of the leaf; this would separate this mine from the one by Tachyerges stigma. However, Scherf (1964a) writes that at least in Alnus, the two mines cannot be told apart. The larva finally pupates in a globular cocoon inside the mine. Because the mine is formed when the leaf already is fully developed mined leaves have a normal shape, except around the mine.
host plants
Myricaceae, Betulaceae, Salicaceae, narrowly polyphagous
Alnus glutinosa; Betula nana, pendula, pubescens; Myrica gale; ? Populus nigra.
In the UK exclusively on Myrica (Morris, 1993a).
phenology
Larvae in June-August (Scherf, 1964a); adults emerge end July (Rheinheimer & Hassler, 2010a).
BENELUX
BE recorded (Curculionidae.be, 2010).
NE recorded (Heijerman, 1993a).
LUX not recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2007).
distribution within Europe
From the UK and France eastwards till Poland, Czechia and Italy (Fauna Europaea, 2007).
larva
imago
The adult emerges from the pupa while this still is within the cocoon.
synonyms
Rhynchaenus jota, R. iota (Fabricius, 1787).
notes
the identification of the mine on Populus nigra, illustrated above, is far from definite; it could also concern Tachyerges pseudostigma. However, it seems that the frass in Tachyerges species is more coarsely grained. In the older literature there are some obscure references to an occurrence of O. jota on poplar.
references
Bachmaier (1965a), Brakman (1966a), Heijerman (1993a), Heijerman & van der Leij (1997a), Hering (1930a,b, 1957a), Huber (1969a), Kollár & Hrubík (2009a), Michalska (1976a), le Monnier (2003a), Morris (1993a, Podlussány (2007a)), Rheinheimer & Hassler (2010a), Robbins (1991a), Scherf (1964a), Sønderup (1949a), Sprick, Schmidt & Gärtner (2013a), Viramo (1962a), Vorst (2010a), Wolf & Fuchs (2014a), Yunakov, Nazarenko, Filimonov & Volovnik (2018a), Zoerner (1969a).