Oligotrophus juniperinus (Linnaeus, 1758)

(Figure 46)

Material: VE, Faerder: Hvasser, Krukehavn, 59.076776°N 10.452109°E ± 250m, 15 June 2019, L, leg. HE, coll. NHMO ; AK, Oslo: Ellingsrud, Munkebekken, 59.928740°N 10.912298°E ± 25m, 6 April 2020, L, leg. HE, coll. NHMO ; Ellingsrud, 59.932185°N 10.905159°E ± 5m, 1 January 2022, LFM, leg. HE, coll. NHMO ; Djupdalen, 59.952077°N 10.950801°E ± 6m, 19 March 2020, L, leg. HE, coll. NHMO ; Lillestrøm: Branderud, 59.982254°N 11.144906°E ± 5m, 29 May 2020, PF, leg. TS, BOLD: NHMO-ENT-548230, coll. NHMO ; OS, Etnedal: Jomfruslettfjellet, 61.041793°N 9.674305°E ± 100m, 4 October 2022, L, leg. HE, coll. NHMO ; TRI, Storfjord: Skibotndalen, Lullefjellet, 69.303553°N 20.440693°E ± 700m, 4 July 2019, L, leg. HE, coll. NHMO ; NSY, Gildeskål: Sund, Sundsvannet, 67.060049°N 14.066206°E ± 5m, 20 July 2019, L, leg. HE, BOLD: NHMO-ENT-547976, coll. NHMO ; 67.059823°N 14.065962°E ± 6m, 25 July 2020, L, leg. HE, coll. NHMO .

Biology and notes: The orange larvae produce bottle-shaped galls on lateral and terminal shoots of Juniperus communis ( Cupressaceae). Each gall consists of an inner and an outer whorl of needles, each made up of three needles. The three outer needles are broad and have diverging tips. The inner ones are more or less fused, forming a central chamber for the larva. Univoltine; the larva hibernates in the gall and pupates there in the spring. This species is extremely common all over Norway. A second species of the genus, Oligotrophus panteli Kieffer, 1898, was recorded in Norway by Skuhravá & Skuhravý (2012). Several other species of Oligotrophus may occur in Norway.

Distribution: Western Palearctic. Widespread in Europe including Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. More common at high altitudes and high latitudes.