Coleophora albella

Checklist Number
37.004 [B&F: 0489]

Verification
Record requires retention of specimen until confirmed, and may require dissection. Consult with CMR if unsure

Classification

Family:Coleophoridae
Subfamily:Coleophorinae
Genus:Coleophora
Species:albella
Authority:(Thunberg, 1788)

Endangered (proposed as a future Red Data Book species) in damp woodland, known only from a single locality in Avon. Unlikely to be recorded in Hampshire or on the Isle of Wight. Wingspan 16-18 mm. Like many of the Coleophora, imagines are virtually impossible to identify without recourse to dissection, and the larvae, which live in cases of characteristic form and which can sometimes be found on the foodplant, may be easier to identify by comparison against a reference collection. Larva feeds within seed capsules of Ragged-Robin, living within a movable case constructed from an empty seed case, which is then attached to successive pods, while the larva feeds in the same manner on the seeds (MBGBI Vol 3).