Synanthedon tipuliformis (Clerck, 1759)
Currant Borer
 (one synonym : Sphinx ophioniformis Hübner, [1813])
SESIINAE,   SESIIDAE,   SESIOIDEA
 
Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley


(Photo: courtesy of Gyorgy Csoka, Forest Research Institute, Hungary)

This Caterpillar originated in Europe, and was unfortunately introduced into Australia by accident. It is a cosmopolitan pest, attacking of members of the plant family SAXIFRAGACEAE, particularly :

  • Black Currants (Ribes nigrum),
  • Red Currants (Ribes rubrum), and
  • Gooseberries (Ribes uva-crispa).

    It bores into the stems to feed, and in so doing damages the plant. The caterpillar is a dirty white colour with a brown head. It grows to a length of about 2 cms.


    (Photo: courtesy of Glenn Cocking, Hawker, Australian Capital Territory)

    The adult moth has a wingspan of about 2 cms. It has clear wings, and a black body with narrow yellow intersegmental bands on the abdomen. The pheromones of this species have been identified.

    The species is now found in

  • Canada,
  • Finland,
  • France,
  • Greece,
  • Italy,
  • Latvia,
  • New Zealand,
  • U.K.,
  • U.S.A.,

    as well as Australia, including:

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

    Control of this pest is possible using :

  • mating disruption with synthetic pheromones,
  • the beetle Lemidia subaenea ( CLERIDAE ),
  • nematodes such as Neoaplectana bibionis, and Steinernema feltiae ( STEINERNEMATIDAE).

    Further reading :

    Ian F.B. Common,
    Moths of Australia,
    Melbourne University Press, 1990, pl. 7.7, pp. 68, 288, 290.

    Carl Alexander Clerck,
    Icones Insect Rariorum,
    Volume 1 (1759), p. 9.

    R.J. Hardy,
    The biology and behaviour of currant borer moth, Synanthedon tipuliformis (Clerck) (Lepidoptera: Aegeriidae) in Tasmania,
    Journal of the Australian Entomological Society,
    Volume 21, Part2 (1982), pp. 103–109.

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    (updated 1 March 2009, 3 December 2017, 18 December 2020)