Macrosaccus robiniella (Clemens, 1859)

leaf blotch miner moth

Macrosaccus robiniella: occupied mines on Robinia pseudoacacia

Macrosaccus robiniella, Drachten, 9.ix.2018 © Gerrit Tuinstra

Macrosaccus robiniella: occupied mine on Robinia pseudoacacia

mine, upper side

Macrosaccus robiniella: occupied mine on Robinia pseudoacacia

same mine, underside

Macrosaccus robiniella: occupied mine on Robinia pseudoacacia

mine with two larvae

Macrosaccus robiniella: occupied mine on Robinia pseudoacacia

opened mine with two cocoons; a vacated cocoon protrudes halfway out of the mine

Macrosaccus robiniella mines

Robinia pseudoacacia, Germany, Baden-Württemberg, Baden-Weiler, 29.ix.2001

Macrosaccus robiniella cocoons

Robinia pseudoacacia, Pietersberg, 12.vii.2005; opened mine with two cocoons

mine

Lower-surface, white, initially flat, later weakly contracted, very fragile, tentiform mine; upper side greenish white, centre like coarsely peppered. A remarkable characteristic is that, by fusion of young mines, most mines contain several larvae (usually 2, but up to 15!). The mine invariably is limited to one side of the leaflet. Pupa each in a snow white, flat, oval, cocoon that is suspended by numerous silken threads attached to the roof of the mine. Frass grains very fine, neither clumped nor incorporated in the cocoon, but loosely scattered throughout the mine.

host plants

Fabaceae, monophagous

Robinia hispida, neomexicana, pseudacacia.

Sefrová (2005a) found the species also Laburnum anagyroides, but this was in a botanical garden.

phenology

Mines from June till October (Csóka, 2003a).

distribution within Europe

From Denmark tot he Iberian Peninsula, Italy, and Romania, and from France to the Ukraine (Fauna Europaea, 2010).

BE known from Belgium since 2001 (De Prins & Groenen, 2001a).

NE first record in 1998 (Huisman ao, 2003a).

LUX recorded (Schneider & Walisch, 2009a).

larva

Described by Davis & De Prins (2011a) and Sefrová (2000b).

pupa

synonyms

Phyllonorycter robiniella.

parasitoids, predators

Achrysocharoides robiniae; Ageniaspis testaceipes; Closterocerus trifasciatus; Minotetrastichus frontalis.

notes

North American species, that appeared in Europe around 1970 in northern Italy (Whitebread, 1990a). Numerous adult specimens were found hibernation in a nest box (Rietschel, 1997a). The number of generations varies between 3 and 4 (Nicolai, 2010a).

references

Bengtsson & Johansson (2011a), Bolchi Serini & Trematerra (1989a), Csóka (2001a, 2003a), Davis & De Prins (2011a), Deschka (2014a), Deutsch (2012a), Deutschmann (2008a), Flügel (2011a, 2016a), Gerstberger (2000a), Gregor & Patočka (2001a), Huemer (2012a), Huemer & Erlebach (2003a), Huemer ao (1992a), Huisman, Koster, Muus & van Nieukerken (2013a), Huisman, Koster, van Nieukerken & Ulenberg (2003a, 2004a), Ivinskis & Rimsaite (2008a), Jaworski (2009a, 2018b), Kirichenko, Augustin & Kenis (2018a), Kollár (2007a), Kollár & Hrubík (2009a), Kovács, Kovács & Szabóky (2006a), Kuchlein, Kuchlein-Nijsten & De Prins (2002a), ME & MA Kurz (2007a), Leutsch (2011a), Maček (1999a), Matošević, Pernek, Dubravac & Barić (2009a), Melika ao (2006a), Nel & Varenne (2014a), Nicolai (2005a, 2010a), Noreika (2008a), Olivella (2005a), Parenti & Varalda (2000a), Patočka Turčáni (2005a), Plóciennik, Pawlikiewicz & Jaworski (2011a), De Prins (2003b, 2007a), De Prins, De Prins & De Coninck (2003a), De Prins & Groenen (2001a), De Prins & Steeman (2011a), De Prins, Steeman & Sierens (2015a), Rietschel (1997a), Roweck & Savenkov (2007a), Schmid (2019a), Schneider & Walisch (2009a), Sefrová (2002b, 2003a, 2005a), Stammer (2016a), Stolnicu (2007a), Tomov & Krusteva (2007a), Ureche (2006a, 2010a), Whitebread (1990a), Wipking (1991a).