Tortricidae : Tortricinae
Green Oak Tortrix
TORTRIX viridana Linnaeus, 1758
Green Oak Tortrix
TORTRIX viridana Linnaeus, 1758
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Alternative Names: European Oak Leafroller : Green Oak Moth
Wingspan: 18-23mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe : N.Africa : Cyprus : Iran : Israel
UK Distribution: Common to very Common wherever oak woodlands are to be found in Britain.
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Deciduous woodland,especially where oak is present.
Similar Species -
Overwinters as: Ova
Observations: The Green Oak Tortrix is the only green coloured tortrix in Britain being green from behind the head. The head,legs and antennae are a yellowish brown colour. The hindwings are grey brown in colour like most of the tortrix moths.
The moth is very similar in appearance to the Cream-bordered Green Pea although this moth has white hindwings with a white border along the wing edges making it easy to differentiate between the two moths.
Although nocturnal is is often found during the day resting on the underside of an oak tree leaf.
The larvae living in a rolled up oak leaf can reach pest proportions completely defoliating the tree.
Overwinters as an ova.
Imago lives approximately five days.
Wingspan: 18-23mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe : N.Africa : Cyprus : Iran : Israel
UK Distribution: Common to very Common wherever oak woodlands are to be found in Britain.
UK Conservation Status -
- Common = >300 10Km Squares
- Least Concern
- Phalaena viridana Linnaeus, 1758
- Phalaena viridana Linnaeus, 1758
- Sweden
Habitat: Deciduous woodland,especially where oak is present.
Similar Species -
- Cream-bordered Green Pea Earias clorana Linnaeus, 1761
Overwinters as: Ova
Observations: The Green Oak Tortrix is the only green coloured tortrix in Britain being green from behind the head. The head,legs and antennae are a yellowish brown colour. The hindwings are grey brown in colour like most of the tortrix moths.
The moth is very similar in appearance to the Cream-bordered Green Pea although this moth has white hindwings with a white border along the wing edges making it easy to differentiate between the two moths.
Although nocturnal is is often found during the day resting on the underside of an oak tree leaf.
The larvae living in a rolled up oak leaf can reach pest proportions completely defoliating the tree.
Overwinters as an ova.
Imago lives approximately five days.
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.
- Fagaceae - Oak - Chestnut - Beech Family
- Quercus petraea - Sessile Oak
- Quercus robur - Pedunculate Oak - Common Oak
- Note - Larvae also feed on the following plant families
- Aceraceae - Acer - Maple
- Betulaceae - Betula-Birch / Carpinus-Hornbeam
- Fagaceae - Fagus - Beech
- Salicaceae - Populus - Poplar-Aspen
- Ericaceae - Vaccinium - Bilberry
- Urticaeae - Urtica - Nettle
- Aceraceae - Acer - Maple
- Note - Larvae also feed on the following plant families
Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Tribe: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species - TORTRIX: Original Species Name: Species Names: Literary Ref: Type Locality: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Tortricoidea Tortricidae Tortricinae Tortricini TORTRIX Linnaeus, 1758 Tortrix viridana Linnaeus, 1758 - Phalaena viridana Linnaeus, 1758 - PHALAENA (Tortrix ) viridana Linnaeus, 1758 = Tortrix viridana coeruleana Sorhagen, 1881 = Tortrix suttneriana Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775 = Tortrix viridana (f.) flavana Zincken, 1821 Tortrix viridana f. pflegeriana Vlach, 1942 - Syst. Nat. (Edn 10) 1 : Title Page : p.530 - n.203 - Sweden |