Leucoptera spartifoliella (Hübner, 1813)
broom bent-wing
on Cytisus, Genista
Cytisus scoparius, Belgium © Stéphane Claerebout
detail
egg
Cytisus scoparius, Belgium, prov. Brabant Wallon, Rosières-Saint-André © Jean-Yves Baugnée: pupation in a conspicuous, snow-white cocoon
mine
Oviposition on a young shoot. The larva leaves the egg without filling it with frass, and the empty shell soon drops off. The first section of the is a shallow, sinuous gallery running upwards between the ridges of the shoot. Later the gallery becomes deeper, sometimes changes direction, and is no longer influenced by the ridges.
The mine strongly resembles the one of Agonopterix assimilella and Trifurcula immundella. In the case of Trifula, the egg is filled with frass when it is left by the larva, and remains as a black, shiny semi-globule at the start of the gallery, even after the mine has already been vacated. Moreover, generally the gallery of immundella runs downwards (Emmet).
host plants
Fabaceae, narrowly oligophagous
Cytisus scoparius, striatus; Genista radiata, tinctoria.
phenology
Larvae from September till April, May. Pupation external.
BENELUX
See Microlepidoptera.nl, Bladmineerders.be
distribution within Europe
larva
Described by Emmet (1985a); see also Schmid.
pupa
Described by Patocka (2000a).
references
Bengtsson & Johansson (2011a), Borkowski (2003a), Buhr (1937a), Buszko (1981a, 1992b), Deschka (1972c), Emmet (1985a), van Frankenhuyzen (1973a), van Frankenhuyzen & Houtman (1972a), van Frankenhuyzen Houtman & Kabos (1982a), Hering (1923a, 1933b), Huisman & Koster (2000a), Klimesch (1957a), Leutsch (2011a), Mey (1994a), Patočka (2000a), Patočka & Turčáni (2005a), De Prins & Steeman (2011a), Robbins (1991a), Schmid (2019a), Sønderup (1949a), Szőcs (1977a), Vos (2017a), Waloff (1968a), Wieser (2018a).