Oberea linearis (Linnaeus, 1761)

on woody plants

gall

According to Buhr, the female deposits her eggs individually under the bark of a young shoot, then rings the shoot a few centimeters higher up; this causes the development of a gall-like callus which serves as the first food for the larva. The part of the shoot above the ring withers and dies off. Later, the larva bores a long tunnel descending in the twig, now and then making an opening to discard frass. However, according to Tzanakakis and others, the larva itself is responsible for the shoot’s die-off because the very first part of its tunnel is a circular gallery, perpendicular to the shoot.

hostplants

polyphagous on woody plants

Alnus; Carpinus; Corylus avellana, colurna; Juglans; Ostrya; Ulmus.

notes

a pest in commercial hazel growing.

references

Buhr (1964a), Burgers (2021a), Marras, Loru & Pantaleoni (2009a), Tzanakakis ME 2008. Hazelnut and walnut twig borer. In: Encyclopedia of Entomology (Capinera JL ed.) 2: 1772-1774.