Synanthedon flaviventris


Synanthedon flaviventris, the sallow clearwing, is a moth of the family Sesiidae. The larvae form pear-shaped galls on sallows.

Description

The eggs are laid in the axils on slender shoots of sallows, and the first year larva excavates a tunnel which shows no external signs of the larva. In the spring of the following year the larva can be as long as 17–18 mm and tunnels deeper into the tissue of the stem, excavating a vertical tunnel 50–75 mm long and 3 mm in diameter. By the second autumn the frass is pressed into cavities between the bark and wood, and the pear-shaped gall is noticeable. The larva feed on sallows and their hybrids; Salix aurita, S. caprea, S. repens, S. cinerea, S. alba, S. fragilis, S. daphnoides and S. rosmarinifolia. Before pupation, the larva makes an exit hole and the pupa is yellowish and formed head down in a chamber above the gall. There is no cocoon. Adults have a wingspan of 17–20 mm and are on the wing in June and July. The species has a two-year life cycle, with adults present mostly in even years.

Distribution

It is found in most of Europe. and Russia.