Eriocampa ovata (Linnaeus, 1758)
woolly alder sawfly
on Alnus
parasite
Eggs are deposited in a row of up to eight in the upper side of the midrib. They long remain recognisable as a row of oval swellings, also after the eggs are vacated, The larvae leave the eggs at the underside of the leaf, and remain feeding at the underside. They are caterpillar-like and in all except the latest stage covered by a dense felt of snow-white downy wax. Each time they start feeding on a new part of a leaf they gnaw the main veins, causing the leaf to wither. Preference for older leaves. The species is fully parthenogenetic.
host plants
Betulaceae, monophagous
Alnus glutinosa, incana.
Savina & Chevin moreover mention Corylus, Frangula.
phenology
Bivoltine.
distribution within Europe
references
Beneš & Holuša (2015a), Benson (1961a), Buhr (1964a), Roskam (2019a), Pschorn-Walcher & Altenhofer (2000a), Savina & Chevin (2012a).