Apple Leaf Skeletonizer
Choreutis pariana
This record describes Choreutis pariana (species). Recorded family: Choreutidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Wingspan 11 to 15 mm. This moth is bright orangey or reddish brown to greyish brown, often with a wavy dark line near the base of the wing and another near the tip. The main chosen foodplant is crab-apple (Malus spp.) but other roseaceous trees are sometimes used too. The moths fly in two generations, firstly in July and then in September, when the species overwinters and may appear again in early spring. So called because of the larva's habit of eating away tissue from the upper surface of leaves of the foodplant, resulting in a skeleton leaf appearance. The larva lives under a silken web. Distributed widely over much of Britain, the species can be locally common when it can be a pest; in other locations it is scarce. In the Butterfly Conservations Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local. No additional images available for this species.
Wikipedia reference for Choreutis pariana: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choreutis pariana.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Choreutoidea
- Family
- Choreutidae (Metalmark Moths)
- Subfamily
- Choreutinae
- Genus
- Choreutis
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
The main chosen foodplant is crab-apple (Malus spp.) but other roseaceous trees are sometimes used too.
Seasonal Activity
The moths fly in two generations, firstly in July and then in September, when the species overwinters and may appear again in early spring.
Diet and Behavior
Life History
So called because of the larva's habit of eating away tissue from the upper surface of leaves of the foodplant, resulting in a skeleton leaf appearance. The larva lives under a silken web.
Additional species information
Recorded status
Distributed widely over much of Britain, the species can be locally common when it can be a pest; in other locations it is scarce. In the Butterfly Conservations Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Choreutis pariana. 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 Apple Leaf Skeletonizer (6)
Frequently Asked Questions About Apple Leaf Skeletonizer
What is Apple Leaf Skeletonizer?
Apple Leaf Skeletonizer (Choreutis pariana) is a species in the family Choreutidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Apple Leaf Skeletonizer found?
Habitat: The main chosen foodplant is crab-apple (Malus spp.) but other roseaceous trees are sometimes used too.
When is Apple Leaf Skeletonizer active?
Apple Leaf Skeletonizer: seasonal activity - The moths fly in two generations, firstly in July and then in September, when the species overwinters and may appear again in early spring..
What is the life cycle of a Apple Leaf Skeletonizer?
So called because of the larva's habit of eating away tissue from the upper surface of leaves of the foodplant, resulting in a skeleton leaf appearance. The larva lives under a silken web.