Gracillaria syringella (Fabricius, 1794)
common slender
Ligustrum ovalifolium: (old) mines and leaf rolls, Belgium, Liège © Jean-Yves Baugnée
Ligustrum ovalifolium, Nieuwendam
Fraxinus excelsior, Flevoland, Reve-Abbertbos © Hans Jonkman
Fraxinus excelsior, Arnhem
Syringa vulgaris, Castricum: the lower-surface start of the mine
same mine, at stronger magnification, to show the flimsy remnant of the egg shells
Syringa vulgaris, België, prov. Namen, Couvin © Stéphane Claerebout
egg shells and two initial galleries, that this time run separately.
mine
The mine begins at a row of eggs along the midrib. The emerging larve form relatively broad, inconspicuous, lower-surface corridor. Subsequently a large, grey brown or greenish brown, very opaque upper-surface blotch is made, occupied by ten or more larvae. The mine makes the leaf somewhat bumpy, but the leaf does not fold around the mine, like in Caloptilia cuculipennella. After some time the larva leave the mine and continue feeding, still communally, in a downwards rolled leaf.
hostplants
Oleaceae, oligophagous
Chionanthus virginicus; Forestiera acuminta; Forsythia x intermedia, suspensa, viridissima; Fraxinus americana, angustifolia subsp. oxycarpa, anomala, excelsior, latifolia, nigra, oregona, ornus, quadrangulata, sogdiana; Jasminum nudiflorum; Ligustrum ibota, ovalifolium, vulgare; Osmanthus x burkwoodii; Phillyrea latifolia; Syringa emodi, josikaea, komarowii, x persica, reticulata, tomentella subsp. sweginzowii, vulgaris.
In Forsythia the mines remain corridor-like, and the larvae die after the mines have grown to 1-2 cm (Buhr, 1935b, 1964a).
Less often observed on Deutzia, Diervilla lonicera, Euonymus europaeus, verrucosus, Weigela ‘Rosea’. Zoerner (1975a) mentions a surprising observation on Magnolia; Kollár (2007a), Robbins (1991a), Szőcs (1977a), and Kollár & Hrubík (2009a) add Sambucus nigra, Symphoricarpos, and Viburnum. In most cases this concerns xenophagy, and the larvae will not complete their development; only the large number of Caprifoliaceae suggests that here a real host plant relation may exist.
phenology
Larvae in June and August-September (Emmet, Watkinson & Wilson, 1985a).
BENELUX
BE recorded (Phegea, 2009).
NE recorded (Kuchlein & de Vos, 1999a; Microlepidoptera.nl, 2009); very common.
LUX recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2009).
distribution within Europe
Entire Europe, except the Balkan Peninsula (Fauna Europaea, 2009).
larve
pupa
Described by Patočka & Turčáni (2005a). The pupa mostly in the leaf rol, in a fold, and protected by a parchment-like sheet (Tymo Muus, pers. comm.)
synonyms
Caloptilia, Xanthospilapteryx syringella; Gracillaria anastomosis Haworth, 1928.
notes
Can cause considerable damage in gardens and ornamental crops, especially in Lilacs.
references
Ahr (1966a), Baldizzone (2004a), Bengtsson & Johansson (2011a), Beiger (1979a), Biesenbaum (2010a), SCS Brown (1947a), Buhr (1935a,b, 1937a, 1964a), Buszko (1992b), Csóka (2003a), Deschka & Wimmer (2000a), Deutschmann (2008a), Drăghia (1971a), Emmet, Watkinson & Wilson (1985a), van Frankenhuyzen & Houtman (1972a), van Frankenhuyzen Houtman & Kabos (1982a), Fulmek (1910b), Haase (1942a), Hering (1926b, 1930b, 1931-32f, 1932b, 1934c, 1957a), Huber (1969a), Huemer (2012a), Jaworski (2009a), Kasy (1965a), Kiziroglu (1976a), Klimesch (1950c), Kollár (2007a), Kollár & Hrubík (2009a), Kozlov & Kullberg (2010a), Kvičala (1938a), Leutsch (2011a), Lhomme (1934c), Maček (1999a), Matošević, Pernek, Dubravac & Barić (2009a), Michalska (1970a, 1972a, 1976a), Nowakowski (1954a), Opheim (1977a), Patočka & Turčáni (2005a), Robbins (1991a), Sefrová (2005a), Skala (1941a), Sønderup (1949a), Stammer (2016a), Starý (1930a), Stolnicu (2007a, 2008a), Szőcs (1977a, 1978a, 1981a), Tomov & Krusteva (2007a), Ureche (2010a), Zoerner (1969a, 1975a).