Acleris emargana

This record describes Acleris emargana (species). Recorded family: Tortricidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.

Identification and Appearance

Wingspan 18 to 22 mm. The notched and hooked forewings of this species create a very distinctive outline, but the colouration is variable and the depth of the costal emargination varies. Acleris effractana is a predominantly Northern/Scottish species, which was formerly considered a form of Acleris emargana. Where any individual has distinctly shallow costal emargination and is a generally plainer grey form, then dissection is preferable. All VC55 dissections have confirmed A. emargana, and there are no National records of A. effractana as yet to suggest that it occurs in VC55. The larvae feed on the leaves and shoots of trees such as Willow, Poplar and Birch. The species is commonest in the south of Britain, becoming less common further north. In the Butterfly Conservation’s Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common.

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Tortricidae
Genus: Acleris

Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.

Habitat and Range

Habitat

Around the larval foodplants.

Seasonal Activity

Flying from July to September.

Diet and Behavior

Life History

The larvae feed on the leaves and shoots of trees such as Willow, Poplar and Birch.

Additional species information

Recorded status

The species is commonest in the south of Britain, becoming less common further north. In the Butterfly Conservation’s Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common.

About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group

Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Acleris emargana. Species-specific details appear above.

Group overview

Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.

Ecological role of the group

Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.

Economic and practical significance of the group

Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.

Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.

Explore Lepidoptera families and species →