Coleophora alcyonipennella (Kollar, 1832)
Clover Case-bearer
(previously known as Ornix alcyonipennella)
COLEOPHORIDAE,   GELECHIOIDEA
 
Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley

Coleophora alcyonipennella
(Photo: courtesy of Donald Hobern, Burrill Lake, New South Wales)

These caterpillars feed on the flowers of species of Clover (FABACEAE) including

  • White Clover ( Trifolium repens ), and
  • Strawberry Clover ( Trifolium fragiferum ).

    The caterpillars live singly in a shelter composed of a single flower floret closed with silk. The caterpillars pupate in their floret which they detach when the flower dies.

    Coleophora alcyonipennella
    (Photo: courtesy of Jean-Francois Landry)

    These adult moths are dark brown or black with an orange metallic iridescence. The moths have a wingspan of about 1 cm. The moth is superficially similar to Coleophora frischella. They can most easily be distinguished by noting that the antennae are about as long as the forewings in Coleophora frischella, whereas the antennae are notably shorter than the forewings in Coleophora alcyonipennella.

    The species was originally found across Europe and Asia, including

  • Pakistan,
  • United Kingdom, and
  • Uzbekistan,

    but has been introduced into

  • New Zealand,

    as well as into Australia, and has now been found in

  • Queensland,
  • New South Wales,
  • Australian Capital Territory,
  • Victoria,
  • Tasmania,
  • South Australia, and
  • Western Australia.


    Further reading:

    L.J. Dumbleton,
    The biology and control of Coleophora spp. (Lepidoptera-Coleophoridae) on white clover,
    New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research,
    Volume 6, June and August, (1963), pp. 277-292.

    Vincenz Kollar,
    Beiträge zur Landeskunde Oesterreich's unter der Enns,
    Wien 2 (1832), p. 99.

    Graham J. McDonald,
    Moths - The Weird and the Wonderful,
    Butterflies and Other Invertebrates Club,
    Metamorphosis Australia,
    Issue 68 (March 2013), pp. 13-16.


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    (written 31 March 2013, updated 27 January 2025)