Donacaula forficella (Thunberg, 1794)
pale water-veneer
Glyceria maxima, Belgium, prov. Antwerp, Mol © Carina Van Steenwinkel: larva in the mine.
larva (because of the flash-light the colour of the larva is somewhat too light)
mine
Narrow, whitish, rather inflated corridor, sometimes several tens of centimeters long, running towards the leaf sheath. Frass in coarse grains, in a distinct central line. Now and then the larva makes a elongate case from leaf material and uses it to float to another host plant. The case may stick for some time to the new host. The larva pupates in a stem, after having made an exit hole and closed it with silk.
host plants
Cyperaceae, Poaceae; narrowly polyphagous
Carex; Glyceria fluitans, maxima; Phragmites australis.
phenology
Larvae from autumn till July (Hering, 1957a).
BENELUX
BE recorded (Phegea, 2010).
NE recorded (Kuchlein & de Vos, 1999a; Microlepidoptera.nl, 2010).
LUX recorded (Fauna Europaea, 2010).
distribution within Europe
All Europe (Fauna Europaea, 2010).
larva
Greyish green; head black, prothoracic shield black, divided. Thoracal feet with an anteromesal globular structure (Neunzig, 1987a, Vallenduuk & Cuppen, 2004a).
pupa
See Patočka & Turčáni (2005a)
synonyms
Harpella, Schoenobius forficella, forficellus.
references
Buhr (1935b), Grabe (1955a), Hering (1925a, 1957a), Koren, Vukotić & Črne (2015a), Kravchenko, Poltavsky, Segerer, ao (2020a), Kuchlein & Donner (1993a), Kuchlein & de Vos (1999a), Neunzig (1987a), Patočka & Turčáni (2005a), De Prins (1998a), Rinnhofer (1988a), Robbins (1991a), Vallenduuk & Cuppen (2004a), Vallenduuk, Cuppen & van der Velde (1997a).