Deadly Nightshade and Acrolepia autumnitella

[SteveMcBill]

On Sunday 19th October 2008 I found a largish, fruiting plant of Deadly Nightshade/Belladonna (Atropa belladonna) in Penketh's Lane, Runcorn. This plant was growing in a slightly shaded area along with plenty of Bittersweet (Solanum dulcamara).

The large leaves of the Belladonna plant had a number of blotch mines of the small micro-moth (Acrolepia autumnitella) which normally uses Bittersweet (Solanum dulcamara) as its main foodplant (See over at: http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidop ... itella.htm).

I have, this year, also had this species of moth produce larval blotch mines on the leaves of Tomato and on a Tobacco Plant (Nicotiana sp.) cultivar. All of these plants (Belladonna, Bittersweet, Tomato and Nicotiana) belong to the same family - Solanaceae.

Steve

[SteveMcBill]

Acrolepia autumnitella on Potato:

At the end of July this year (2011) I had had mines of this species (Acrolepia autumnitella) on plants of Bittersweet (Solanum dulcamara) growing in the patio at the side of the house for some weeks. However, on teh 28th July 2011 I noticed that there were mines on a plant of Potato (Solanum tuberosum) (variety Sweet Fir Apple) which was growing in a plastic potato sack about 5 feet away from the Bittersweet. Checking these mines and the larvae within them showed them to also be A.autumnitella. See pictures of the Potato mines below.

Back in 2008 I had had mines of this species on Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) in teh patio and on Belladonna/Deadly Nightshade (Atropa belladonna) in Runcorn Old Town.

The foodplant list seems to be increasing though so far all of the plants used have been Solanaceae.

Steve