Medicago laciniata, La Gomera; left the youth case, right the adult case, on a fructiferous inflorescence; from Klimesch (1982a)

case

Rather flat lobe case, finally about 7-9 mm long, composed of fairly large leaf fragments. Later the larve changes its life style, and starts feeding on the ripening seeds.

hostplants

Fabaceae, monophagous

Medicago laciniata.

In the light of the large, and strongly disjunct, distribution this probably isn’t the only host species.

phenology

Active larvae found from January till May. Dependent on timing of the rain the larva can wait one to several years before pupation.

BENELUX

Not known from the Benelux countries (Fauna Europaea, 2009).

distribution within Europe

Northern Russia; Hungary; Greece; France, Spain, Canary Islands (Fauna Europaea, 2009); known further from desert areas of Iran, Libia and Tunisia (Klimesch, 1982a).

references

Baldizzone (1979c), Baldizzone & van der Wolf (2000a), Chrétien (1915a), Klimesch (1982a), van der Wolf (2009a).