Black-headed Birch Leaffolder - Hodges#3540
Acleris placidana
This record describes Acleris placidana (species). Recorded family: Tortricidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Whitish or pale gray FW is dotted with tufts of raised dusky scales. Darker costal triangle is often reduced to a bar in central median area. ( 5 )
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Tortricoidea
- Family
- Tortricidae (Tortricid Moths)
- Subfamily
- Tortricinae
- Tribe
- Tortricini
- Genus
- Acleris
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Type locality: Pennsylvania (Theo. Bunte ).
Seasonal Activity
1 brood in spring and 1 brood in late summer and fall. ( 5 )
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Caterpillar: Alder, birch, and viburnum. ( 5 )
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Specific epithet from Latin placidus meaning "placid, gentle, quiet, still, calm, mild, peaceful." Formerly treated as a subspecies of 3540 Acleris logiana (Clerck, 1759). Informally elevated back to full species following the Online World Catalogue of the Tortricidae (Ver. 3.0) ( 3 ) . Formally raised to full species in Gilligan et al. (2020) ( 4 ) . Acleris logiana is extralimital to North America.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Acleris placidana. 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.
Photos of Black-headed Birch Leaffolder - Hodges#3540 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Charley Eiseman; Additional contributions by Steve Nanz , Tony-2 , Randy Hardy , Fyn Kynd
Frequently Asked Questions About Black-headed Birch Leaffolder - Hodges#3540
What is Black-headed Birch Leaffolder - Hodges#3540?
Black-headed Birch Leaffolder - Hodges#3540 (Acleris placidana) is a species in the family Tortricidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Black-headed Birch Leaffolder - Hodges#3540?
Wingspan 19 mm.
How do you identify Black-headed Birch Leaffolder - Hodges#3540?
Whitish or pale gray FW is dotted with tufts of raised dusky scales. Darker costal triangle is often reduced to a bar in central median area. ( 5 )
Where is Black-headed Birch Leaffolder - Hodges#3540 found?
Range: Type locality: Pennsylvania (Theo. Bunte ).
What does Black-headed Birch Leaffolder - Hodges#3540 eat?
The diet of the Black-headed Birch Leaffolder - Hodges#3540 includes Caterpillar: Alder, birch, and viburnum. ( 5 ).
When is Black-headed Birch Leaffolder - Hodges#3540 active?
Black-headed Birch Leaffolder - Hodges#3540: seasonal activity - 1 brood in spring and 1 brood in late summer and fall. ( 5 ).