Commophila aeneana

This record describes Commophila aeneana (species). Recorded family: Tortricidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.

Identification and Appearance

Wingspan 13 to 17 mm. A brightly coloured Tortrix moth, having orange-yellow forewings with metallic blue markings. The larvae live from September throughout the winter, feeding in the roots of Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea). It is rather scarce in Britain, occurring locally in the southern half of England. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as Nationally Scarce B.

Classification

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

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

Habitat and Range

Habitat

Where the larval food plant occurs.

Seasonal Activity

The moths fly from May to July.

Diet and Behavior

Life History

The larvae live from September throughout the winter, feeding in the roots of Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea).

Additional species information

Recorded status

It is rather scarce in Britain, occurring locally in the southern half of England. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as Nationally Scarce B.

About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group

Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Commophila aeneana. 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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