Byctiscus betulae (Linnaeus, 1758)
vine leaf roller
polyphagous on woody plants
Tilia platyphyllos, Hungary, Budapest, arboretum, 10.v.2019 © László Érsek
the petioles have been partly severed at their base
larva dorsal,
ventral
Pyrus communis, Belgium, prov. Antwerp, Mol, 16.v.2015 © Carina Van Steenwinkel
Salix caprea, Belgium, prov. Limbourg, Meldert, Schurfert, 12.vi.2020 © Carina Van Steenwinkel
Populus tremula, Belgium, prov. Limbourg, Maasmechelen, Maaswinkel, 7.vi.2020 © Carina Van Steenwinkel
two or three larvae per roll
frass
Fagus sylvatica © Milan Zubrik, Forest Research Institute – Slovakia, Bugwood.org
Tilia spec. © Belgium, prov. Antwerp, Balen, de Most, 28.iv.2017 © Carina Van Steenwinkel: fresh roll
parasite
In spring and autumn the adult beetles feed on the leaves, by shaving characteristic narrow strips of the upper side of the leaves. The female produces on average some 50 eggs, distributed over the 10-15 leaf rolls that she makes in her lifetime. For each roll she prepares a young shoot by gnawing a wound at its base, causing it to wilt. sometimes she also bits in the individual petioles on the shoot. As soon as the leaves have sufficiently lost their turgor she rolls 3-5 leaves together into s cigar-shaped roll, depositing sone eggs between the leaves. Normally the roll rather soon drops to the ground. The larvae develop in the roll; once full fed they crawl into the soil in order to pupate. After about two weeks a new generation of beetles appears.
host plants
Acer; ; Alnus glutinosa; Betula pendula; Carpinus; Castanea sativa; Corylus avellana; Cydonia oblonga; Fagus sylvatica; Malus; Populus tremula; Prunus; Pyrus communis; Rubus idaeus; Salix caprea; Sorbus; Tilia cordata, platyphyllos; Ulmus; Vitis vinifera.
Main are Fagus, Populus, Salix, Tilia, Vitis.
Records from Crataegus; Quercus; Rosa are dubious.
phenology
Univoltine, hibernation as adult.
distribution within Europe
references
Antonie, Teodorescu & Oprean (2006a), Dieckmann (1974a), Legalov & Friedman (2007a), Reinheimer & Hassler (2010a), Trdan & Valič (2004a), Urban (2015a), Yunakov, Nazarenko, Filimonov & Volovnik (2018a).