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Insecta, Lepidoptera, Sesiidae .

Currant clearwing moth, Currant borer, Wasp moth

Description, Biology, Life Cycle, Damage, Common Names, Images

[R]Biology
- Host plants: red and white currant, gooseberry, black currant.
- The moth flies at the beginning of summer. Mating occurs 3 to 4 hours after emergence, laying 3 days later. The eggs are deposited singly or in groups in cracks in 1- or 2-year-old branches, never on the current year's shoots.
- Egg: embryonic development lasts 8 days at 20_C.
- The caterpillar penetrates the stem via a wound or pruning scar and devours the pith (*) . It develops slowly until the autumn and overwinters in situ. Development is completed in spring and pupation occurs inside the stem (*) .

[R]Life Cycle
- 1 generation per annum. In France, the caterpillar pupates in April-May and adults occur from the end of May to the end of June.

[R]Damage
-The attacked fruit bushes die and dry up owing the the effect of various xylophagous fungi, in particular, Cytosporina ribis. Black currant can withstand high levels of infestation without suffering significant damage.

[R] Images

1. Synanthedon tipuliformis (Clerk) (BASF)
   Larva in twig of currant
2. Synanthedon tipuliformis (Clerk) pupa The black currant twig has been opened, displaying the pupa in the gallery.
   
3. Synanthedon tipuliformis (Clerk) Adult at rest on apple leaf (Coutin R. / OPIE)