Tortricidae : Tortricinae
Tortricodes alternella
TORTRICODES alternella ([Denis & Schiffermüller, [1775])
Tortricodes alternella
TORTRICODES alternella ([Denis & Schiffermüller, [1775])
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Alternative Names: Winter Shade
Wingspan: 19-23mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - except Bulgaria,Croatia,Finland,Greece,Ukraine & Some Mediterranean Islands
UK Distribution: England,Wales-Common throughout : Local in Scotland & Ireland
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Deciduous woodland : Scrub : Gardens
Similar Species -
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: This moth is one of the earliest Tortricids to be on the wing in early spring making confusion with any other moth highly unlikely.
The male is highly variable in colours ranging from silvery grey to pale yellowish brown with markings in brown to blackish brown. The basal area ranges from yellowish brown to brown.The median area has cross lines which are both concave and convex opposed and are variably marked with a median area in brown to light brown.There is a brown wedge shaped mar at the costa adjacent to the apex.The female markings are less distinct in blackish brown. There is a grey form of this moth.
The moth can be found during the day resting on tree trunks and is attracted to light.
Wingspan: 19-23mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - except Bulgaria,Croatia,Finland,Greece,Ukraine & Some Mediterranean Islands
UK Distribution: England,Wales-Common throughout : Local in Scotland & Ireland
UK Conservation Status -
- Common = > 300 10Km squares
- Least Concern
- Phalaena (Tinea) alternella (Denis & Schiffermüller,[1775])
- Tortrix hymena Hübner,[1819]
- Austria - near Vienna
Habitat: Deciduous woodland : Scrub : Gardens
Similar Species -
- None
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: This moth is one of the earliest Tortricids to be on the wing in early spring making confusion with any other moth highly unlikely.
The male is highly variable in colours ranging from silvery grey to pale yellowish brown with markings in brown to blackish brown. The basal area ranges from yellowish brown to brown.The median area has cross lines which are both concave and convex opposed and are variably marked with a median area in brown to light brown.There is a brown wedge shaped mar at the costa adjacent to the apex.The female markings are less distinct in blackish brown. There is a grey form of this moth.
The moth can be found during the day resting on tree trunks and is attracted to light.
Photo Gallery
Larval Food Plants Worldwide
Note - Plants hyperlinked in red below take the visitor to the relevant plant page on"Plants for a Future" website
where further information like photos,physical
characteristics,habitats,edible uses,medicinal
uses,cultivation,propagation,range,height etc. are clearly listed.
- Plant Families - in bold red below takes the visitor to the relevant "Lepi-plants" page where other butterflies & moths using the plants below are listed.
- Betulaceae - The Birch Family
- Carpinus betulus - Hornbeam
- Corylus avellana - Hazel
- Fagaceae - Oak - Chestnut - Beech Family
- Quercus ilex - Holly Oak - Holm Oak
- Rosaceae - The Rose Family
- Prunus spinosa - Blackthorn - Sloe (Britain)
- Note - Larvae also feed on the following plant families
- Chenopodiaceae - Beta - Beet
- Rosaceae - Crataegus - Hawthorn
- Tiliaceae - Tilia - Lime
Larval Food Plants
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Taxonomy
Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Tribe: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species - TORTRICODES: Original Species Name: Species Names: Literary Ref: Type Locality: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Tortricoidea Tortricidae Tortricinae Cnephasiini TORTRICODES Guenée, 1845 Tortricodes alternella (Denis & Schiffermüller'[1775]) - Tortrix hymena (Hübner, [1819]) - PHALAENA (Tinea) alternella (Denis & Schiffermüller,[1775]) = Tortricodes violella Razowski, 1956 = tortricella (Hübner, 1796) = Tortricodes violella Razowski 1956 = Tortricodes hyemana Hübner 1818/19 - Ankündung eines systematischen Werkes von den Schmetterlingen der Wienergegend,herausgegeben von einigen Lehrern am k. k. Theresianum. - pp. [1], 1-322, [1], Tab. 1a-1b. Wien : Title Page : p.135 - n.33 - Austria - near Vienna |