Abies nordmanniana, Amsterdam (Xmas tree in front of the Central Station); leg. Albertine Ellis-Adam

mine

Oviposition at the upper side of a needle. Mine usually only in the distal half of a leaf. Initially the larva works towards the tip, then descends along then other side of the leaf. Most frass is accumulated in the tip of the leaf. At the base of the mine a round hole, closed with silk, by which the larva leaves the mine. The larva mines several leaves (1 or 2 before hibernation), and hibernates in the mine. Mined leaves are strikingly whitish. Contrary to other Abies miners, mined leaves are not connected by spinning. Pupation external, at the underside of a leaf.

host plants

Pinaceae, monophagous

Abies alba, balsamea, concolor, grandis, nordmanniana, numidica.

Also mentioned from Picea by, among others, Koch (1928a), but this is rejected as misidentification-based by later authors.

phenology

Larvae from late-summer to April (Koch, 1928a; Hering, 1957a).

BENELUX

BE recorded (Phegea, 2009).

NE recorded (Kuchlein & de Vos, 1999a; Microlepidoptera.nl, 2009).

LUX not recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2009).

distribution within Europe

From Scandinavia and Belarus to the Pyrenees, Italy, and Bulgaria, and from France to the Ukraine (Fauna Europaea, 2009), Iberia (Laštůvka & Laštůvka, 2015a).

larva

Body flattened, spindle-shaped, more or less dirty dark green; head shining black; prothoracic and anal plate, and thoracic feet brown. Anal prolegs reduced, with only 4-6 crochets (Patočka, 1960a).

pupa

Described by Patočka (1960a, 1997a, 1998a), Patočka & Turčáni (2005a).

parasitoids, predators

Mesopolobus diffinis.

references

Baran (2009a), Bengtsson & Johansson (2011a), Buhr (1935a,b), Doets (1940a), Friese (1969a), Hering (1957a), Huisman & Koster (1997a), Huisman, Koster, Muus & van Nieukerken (2013a), Konečná (2013a), Kuchlein & Donner (1993a), Kuchlein & de Vos (1999a), Laštůvka & Laštůvka (2015a, 2019a), Matošević, Pernek, Dubravac & Barić (2009a), Patočka (1960a, 1997a, 1998a), Patočka & Turčáni (2005a), Skala & Zavřel (1945a), Starý (1930a), Steeman & Sierens (2019a), Surányi (1942a), Szőcs (1977a).