Cochylis roseana

This record describes Cochylis roseana (species). Recorded family: Tortricidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.

Identification and Appearance

Wingspan 10 to17 mm. The pink suffusion on the forewing varies in intensity, and can be inconspicuous. On sites where Teasel grows plentifully. The larva lives August - May in a silk tunnel bored through the sides of several teasel seeds, on which it feeds. It is locally common in southern England, but further north in Cheshire and Lancashire it is quite scarce. In the Butterfly Conservation’s Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local. No additional images available for this species.

Classification

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

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

Habitat and Range

Habitat

On sites where Teasel grows plentifully.

Seasonal Activity

It flies late May until August.

Diet and Behavior

Life History

The larva lives August - May in a silk tunnel bored through the sides of several teasel seeds, on which it feeds.

Additional species information

Recorded status

It is locally common in southern England, but further north in Cheshire and Lancashire it is quite scarce. In the Butterfly Conservation’s Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local.

About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group

Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Cochylis roseana. 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.

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