Prodoxidae

09.001 Currant Shoot Borer Lampronia capitella (Clerck, 1759)

pRDB3

Similar species:

Forewing: 7 to 9mm

Habitats: Deciduous woodland, gardens and allotments.

Habits: The moth flies in afternoon sunshine. It occasionally comes to light.

Foodplant: The larva feeds in the unripe fruit of Red Currant, Gooseberry and sometimes other currants. A fruit may sometimes contain two larvae. The larva then hibernates in a cocoon in a bark crevice. In April the larva feeds in a young, expanding shoot. Its presence is given away by withering leaves. It then pupates in the shoot.