Lampronia capitella

L. capitella (Clerck)

Currant shoot borer

Adult Characteristics

Depicted in Heath & Pelham-Clinton (1976). Wingspan 14-17 mm. Head ochreous yellow. Forewing dark purplish fuscous, with two basal spots fused into a diffuse cream-colored band from costa to hind edge, and isolated creamy spots on hind edge near tornus and opposite it on costa. Hindwings dark gray, sometimes with purplish tinge, darker toward tip.

Comparison with similar species

L. luzella is superficially similar, but differs in having two inner spots rather than a band.

Host, oviposition, and larval feeding habits

Eggs are laid in green fruits of Ribes spp.. Black currant (R. nigrum) is the premier host in northern Sweden, with orchards often being heavily attacked, and red currant (R. rubrum) is a less common host (S. Hellqvist, in litt.). In Britain, Heath & Pelham-Clinton report that red or white currant cultivars or gooseberry (R. grossularia) are used. Larvae feed during early instars inside maturing fruit, causing premature maturation, then abandons it and hibernates in a hibernaculum at the plant root. In spring, the larva enters a developing shoot of the host, usually causing its death. Pupation may occur inside the gallery or outside of it. The moth emerges in early summer.

Crater-like scar (arrow) on Ribes nigrum stem from past shoot destroyed by L. capitella; this scar is detectable for several years (S. Hellqvist, in litt.). Picture courtesy of Sven Hellqvist.

Geographic distribution

From Britain eastward across Fennoscandia, central and northern continental Europe, and east to easternmost Siberia. The species has been introduced into North America.

Habitat

In settings with the host plants, including orchards, where it can cause considerable damage.

Ribes nigrum orchard devastated by L. capitella attack; Posjärv, northern Sweden, 1989. Picture courtesy of Sven Hellqvist.

References

Heath, J. & E.C. Pelham-Clinton. 1976. The moths and butterflies
          of Great Britain and Ireland, vol I: Incurvariidae.  
          Blackwell Scientific Press and Curwen Press.

Special thanks to S. Hellqvist for providing unpubl. host information.

Holotype in Uppsala University.

About this page

Olle Pellmyr
E-mail: pellmyr@ctrvax.vanderbilt.edu.
Dept of Biology, Vanderbilt University, Box 1812-B Nashville, TN 37235, USA

Title illustration: To be obtained