Grapholita internana
This record describes Grapholita internana (species). Recorded family: Tortricidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Unless identified by a recognised expert, a photo is required. If the photo doesn't show the key ID features then in the comments box describe the size and identifying characters you have observed. If recorded on, or near to, Gorse please state this in your record. Flying between April and June, the males in particular can be observed around gorse bushes during the day, where their whitish hindwings are quite noticeable. The females are less active and have dusky hindwings. The foodplant is gorse (Ulex europaeus), and the larvae live inside the seedpods feeding on the seeds. Distributed widely but locally throughout Britain, this moth is generally more frequent in the southern counties. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera
- Family
- Tortricidae
- Genus
- Grapholita
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Areas with plenty of Gorse.
Seasonal Activity
Flying between April and June, the males in particular can be observed around gorse bushes during the day, where their whitish hindwings are quite noticeable. The females are less active and have dusky hindwings.
Diet and Behavior
Life History
The foodplant is gorse (Ulex europaeus), and the larvae live inside the seedpods feeding on the seeds.
Additional species information
Recorded status
Distributed widely but locally throughout Britain, this moth is generally more frequent in the southern counties. 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 Grapholita internana. 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 Grapholita internana (4)
Frequently Asked Questions About Grapholita internana
What is Grapholita internana?
Grapholita internana is a species in the family Tortricidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Grapholita internana found?
Habitat: Areas with plenty of Gorse.
When is Grapholita internana active?
Grapholita internana: seasonal activity - Flying between April and June, the males in particular can be observed around gorse bushes during the day, where their whitish hindwings are quite noticeable. The females are less active and have dusky hindwings..
What is the life cycle of a Grapholita internana?
The foodplant is gorse (Ulex europaeus), and the larvae live inside the seedpods feeding on the seeds.