Western Palaearctic Ectoedemia (Zimmermannia) Hering and Ectoedemia Busck s. str. (Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae): five new species and new data on distribution, hostplants and recognition Author van Nieukerken, Erik Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, Netherlands Author Laštůvka, Aleš Mendel University of Agriculture & Forestry, Brno ,, Czech Republic Author Laštůvka, Zdeněk Mendel University of Agriculture & Forestry, Brno ,, Czech Republic text ZooKeys 2010 2010-01-08 32 32 1 82 journal article 10.3897/zookeys.32.282 d33a3344-7f9a-4028-8569-2b7643d9b43f 1313–2970 576594 9CACC88D-12A3-4FEC-948E-90365B649BB6 Ectoedemia (Ectoedemia) heringella (Mariani) Figs 84, 92, 112, 115, 116 Biology . Hostplants. Quercus ilex L., Q. alnifoliae Poech. ,? Q. robur L. In northern Italy the species was frequently found in localities without any evergreen oaks (G. Baldizzone, personal communication), such as the Parco NR Capanne di Marcarolo. Since in Britain in an outbreak situation mines on Quercus robur have been seen, we assume that E. heringella can also feed on deciduous Quercus . Leafmines (Figs 115, 116) cannot be separated from other related gallery miners, in its distribution area mostly E. haraldi and pseudoilicis . Univoltine, larvae from November to April, adults May (April?) to July. Distribution . Widespread in Eastern Mediterranean, from Cyprus westwards to Corsica and southeastern France (Alpes Maritimes), recently recorded as invasive insect from Great Britain : Langmaid and Young 2003 ; Prichard 2005 ; Vickery 2004 ; Palmer 2008 ; Sims 2008 . Records for France : Van Nieukerken et al. 2006 ; Greece : Laštůvka and Laštůvka 1998 . Here new for Sardinia and tentatively recorded for Tunisia on the basis of two females. Remarks . Ectoedemia heringella suddenly appeared in the beginning of this century in the parks of London, where it soon reached almost pest status with sometimes all leaves of the planted Quercus ilex covered in mines (Fig. 116). The first adults were collected in the Wildlife Garden of the Natural History Museum ( Langmaid and Young 2003 ; Prichard 2005 ; Vickery 2004 ), from where EJvN identified the unrecognised specimens in 2000. It is likely that the species was introduced to Britain, possibly with plant material, the nearest natural occurrence being the Alpes Maritimes in France . Recently it has been spreading through southern England . EJvN found similar vacated mines in Paris: Jardin des Plantes, but it is not certain that they belong to this species. Material . Great Britain : 2♀ , London , Buckingham Palace garden, 9. V .2002 , M. Honey ( RMNH ) ; 2♁, ibidem,. 14. VI , 5.VII.2001 , D.J. Carter ( BMNH ) ; thousands of mines [rearing failed], London , Fulham : Fulham Palace Gardens , 6.II.2005 , larvae on Quercus ilex , E.J. van Nieukerken ( RMNH ) ; 4♀ , London : Kensington Palace , 16.IV.2002 , larvae on Q. ilex , el, M. Honey ( BMNH ) ; 4♁, 4♀ , London: Nat. Hist.