Caryocolum cassella
(Walker, 1864)
Caryocolum cassella is a small gelechiid with a broad Palearctic distribution extending from Western Europe through Scandinavia to Eastern Europe and Russia, with additional in western North America. The shows in forewing length, with males slightly larger than females. are active during summer months, while larvae develop in spring on Stellaria nemorum.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Caryocolum cassella: //ˌkæɹ.i.oʊˈkoʊ.ləm kæˈsɛl.ə//
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Identification
Identification requires examination of genitalia; external alone is insufficient to distinguish this from closely related Caryocolum species. The species was historically confused with other members of the C. schleichi species group, which was revised using integrative molecular and morphological methods in 2020.
Images
Distribution
Europe: France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Scandinavia, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Estonia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia. North America: Alberta, Saskatchewan (Canada); California, Nevada (USA). A record from Hokkaido, Japan requires confirmation.
Seasonality
: June to late August. Larvae: May to June.
Diet
Larvae feed on Stellaria nemorum (wood stitchwort, Caryophyllaceae). They feed between spun shoots.
Host Associations
- Stellaria nemorum - larval plantLarvae feed between spun shoots of this plant
Life Cycle
Larval stage occurs in May–June, feeding within spun shoots of the plant. follows, with period from June through late August.
Behavior
Larvae construct silk shelters between spun shoots of the plant. are and have been recorded at artificial light.
Similar Taxa
- Caryocolum schleichi species groupHistorically confused with C. cassella; in this group require genital dissection and/or molecular analysis for reliable identification
- Caryocolum messneri, C. habeleri, C. lamaiThree cryptic described in 2020 from the Alps, previously misidentified as known species including C. cassella; distinguished by genital and molecular data
More Details
Taxonomic history
Originally described as Gelechia cassella by Walker in 1864. The was part of the integrative revision of the Caryocolum schleichi species group by Huemer (2020), which demonstrated that cryptic diversity in this group had been underestimated.
Molecular research context
The 2020 revision of the C. schleichi group used and morphological analysis to resolve boundaries, revealing three previously undescribed species and clarifying the status of C. cassella relative to its .