Author: (Durrant, 1911)
Pine leaf-mining moth
Species Overview:
Adult: 10-12 mm wingspan; forewing ground colour white, diffusely strigulated with grey and ferruginous-ochreous medially, extensively overlaid with ferruginous-ochreous distally; markings grey.
Egg: deposited singly on the leaves, usually near the tip.
Larva: 5 mm long; reddish brown.
Pupa: in a loosely spun cocoon attached to the needles.
Taxonomic Description:
Male:
Clavigesta purdeyi male 1
Clavigesta purdeyi male 2
External characters: 10-12 mm wingspan. Forewing with apex rounded and termen slightly convex, without costal fold; ground colour white, diffusely strigulated with grey and ferruginous-ochreous medially, extensively overlaid with ferruginous-ochreous distally; markings grey, with a weak ferruginous-ochreous admixture; basal and sub-basal fasciae forming a diffusely strigulated basal patch, its outer edge obtusely angulated; median fascia obsolescent, indicated by suffusion costally; a vertical blackish stria from tornus, edged with plumbeous; subterminal fascia obsolete; cilia white, suffused with grey except at base along termen, with a dark sub-basal line (Bradley et al., 1979).
male genitalia C. purdeyi
Genitalia: Uncus and gnathos absent. Socii rudimentary, not curving outwards. Valva without clasper, narrow, with oval cucullus. Apex of sacculus without a triangular process. Aedeagus without spines on walls.
Female:
External characters: Similar to male.
female genitalia C. purdeyi
Genitalia: Sterigma reduced, a slightly V-shaped band, each side broadening to a fusiform shape; antrum large; ductus bursae with large sclerite; two large signa present in corpus bursae.
Biology:
Moths fly from July to September. Females deposit their eggs singly on pine needles, usually close to the apex. Larvae hatch after 3 weeks and bore into a needle mining its contents until October, then overwintering until the following spring. They then recommence feeding within the needle, moving to the new shoots later, when the buds flush, and feeding by boring through the sheaths into the needle bases. The needles are severed and fall leaving the sheaths empty. Each larva destroys several pairs of needles in this way. The larva feeds entirely in the leaves and does not enter the buds or shoots. Pupation occurs in late June and in July, in a loosely spun cocoon attached to the needles (Bradley et al., 1979; Schröder, 1978; Scott, 1972).
Host plants:
Pinus sylvestris, Pinus contorta var. latifolia and Pinus nigra var. maritima.
Damage:
The larva feeds entirely in the leaves and does not enter the buds or shoots. Attacked trees show signs of defoliation and shoots may die off.
Distribution:
UK; the Netherlands
Pheromone:
Pheromone unknown.