Exapate congelatella
This record describes Exapate congelatella (species). Recorded family: Tortricidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Wingspan 18 to 22 mm. A rather peculiar species, the male with elongated forewings, and the female having much reduced vestigial wings. Please provide a photograph to support your record, and retain the specimen until identification is confirmed. Occupying hedgerows in the south, but having more of a preference for moorland further north. One of the latest of the Tortricidae to be on the wing, occurring from October into December. It is patchily distributed over a large part of Britain. 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
- Exapate
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Occupying hedgerows in the south, but having more of a preference for moorland further north.
Seasonal Activity
One of the latest of the Tortricidae to be on the wing, occurring from October into December.
Additional species information
Recorded status
It is patchily distributed over a large part of Britain. 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 Exapate congelatella. 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 Exapate congelatella (2)
Frequently Asked Questions About Exapate congelatella
What is Exapate congelatella?
Exapate congelatella is a species in the family Tortricidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Exapate congelatella found?
Habitat: Occupying hedgerows in the south, but having more of a preference for moorland further north.
When is Exapate congelatella active?
Exapate congelatella: seasonal activity - One of the latest of the Tortricidae to be on the wing, occurring from October into December..