Coleophora caespititiella Zeller, 1829

buff rush case-bearer

on Juncus

case (from Patzak, 1974a)

parasite

The young larvae for quite some times lives hidden within a fruit, feeding on the seeds. Only in its penultimate instar it begins making a case. The final cage is well hidden and camouflaged between the fruits. It is a greyish brown trivalved tubular silken case with a mouth angle of 10°-40°; the frass is covered with much “dirt”, frass grains and plant detritus.

host plants

Juncaceae, monophagous

Juncus articulatus, conglomeratus, effusus, gerardi, inflexus, squarrosus.

phenology

Cases from end August till about the end of September. The full fed larvae leave the host plant towards the surrounding vegetation, then enter diapause and pupate in the following spring, all the time in their cause.

distribution within Europe

West and Middle Europe, from Scandinavia until the Mediterranean (PESI, 2018).

synonyms

Coleophora agrammella Wood, 1892.

parasitoids, predators

Dicladocerus westwoodii; Miotropis unipuncta.

references

Baldizzone (2020a), Baldizzone & Hartig (1978a), Biesenbaum (2001b), Biesenbaum & van der Wolf (1999a), Burmann (1992a), Emmet, Langmaid, Bland ao (1996a), Fazekas & Schreurs (2010a), Heckford (1986a), Ivinskis & Savenkov (1991a), Jordan (1955a), Kaltenbach & Roesler (1985a), Nel (1992b,c), Patzak (1974a), Robbins (1991a), Schütze (1931a), Stark & Buchner (2016a), Wood (1892a).