Macrosaccus robiniella (Clemens, 1859)
leaf blotch miner moth

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

mine, upper side

same mine, underside

mine with two larvae

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

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

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.
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), Deutschmann (2008a), Flügel (2011a, 2016a), Gregor & Patočka (2001a), Huemer (2012a), Huemer & Erlebach (2003a), Huemer ao (1992a), Huisman, Koster, van Nieukerken & Ulenberg (2003a), Ivinskis & Rimsaite (2008a), Jaworski (2009a), 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, De Prins & De Coninck (2003a), De Prins & Groenen (2001a), De Prins & Steeman (2011a), De Prins, Steeman & Sierens (2015a), Rietschel (1997a), Schneider & Walisch (2009a), Sefrová (2002b, 2003a, 2005a), Stammer (2016a), Stolnicu (2007a), Tomov & Krusteva (2007a), Ureche (2006a, 2010a), Whitebread (1990a), Wipking (1991a).