Millieria dolosalis

• Subfamily:
• Wingspan: 09-11 mm
• Flight period: Apr - Aug
• Spread: Uncommon
• Host plants: Aristolochiaceae

Information

The Millieria dolosalis is a moth of the Millieriidae family with a wingspan of 09-11 mm.
Distributed in most of Europe, with the exception of the United Kingdom, the Benelux, Denmark, Poland, the Baltic States and the Scandinavian Peninsula. *
In Italy it is absent from the islands. * Its range also extends to North Africa.

The front wing of the Millieria dolosalis is brown in color with various small white lines, three of these are present on the costa, two short, parallel, near the apex and one about halfway along the coast (discal region). Two other short lines are visible on the inner margin near the inner corner and in the disc region. A white line that cuts the wing in half is visible from the basal region up to the entire discal region.
The rear wing is translucent white with a brown / dark brown shade near the marginal area. Head and thorax are brown, the abdomen it is brown in color and may be streaked with white.

The scientific name of the species was published, for the first time validly in 1851 by Heydenreich, as Choreutis dolosalis . In 1854 Herrich-Schäffer again published the name Choreutis dolosana , but that name is a minor synonym for the name given by Heydenreich. The 1854 name of Herrich-Schäffer was chosen by Ragonot to define the genus Millieria .

It has two generations a year starting from April, it frequents the habitats where the host plant is present.

The larva has a white color, black head and prothorax. Its presence is marked by a large blackish spot, it is a spot at full depth on the leaf margin of the host plant. No initial corridor. The excrement with granular shape is scattered along the mine.
The larva is solitary, and pupation occurs in a discoid cocoon always in the mine. ***, ****

The larvae are oligophages and feed on various Aristolochiaceae, such as Aristolochia clematitis, Aristolochia macrophylla, Aristolochia pistolochia.


* Lepidoptera mundi https://lepidoptera.eu/ - Fauna Europea https://fauna-eu.org/
** R. L. E. Ford, FRES, FZS (1963). Larger British Moths. Frederick Warne, Observer Series.
*** Plant Parasites of Europe leafminers, galls and fungi - https://bladmineerders.nl/
**** Chrétien (1926a), Csóka (2003a), Drăghia (1971a), Hering (1957a), Kuznetsov (1990b), Lhomme (1934b), Parenti & Varalda (2000a), Skala (1951a, b), Skala & Zavřel (1945a), Sonderegger (2011a), Stolnicu (2007a, 2008a), Szőcs (1977a, 1981a), Ureche (2010a), Utech (1962a).