Variegated Golden Tortrix
Archips xylosteana
This record describes Archips xylosteana (species). Recorded family: Tortricidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
The adults fly from just before dusk into the night and are on the wing during July and August. It uses a range of deciduous trees and shrubs for its foodplants. It can be found over much of Britain. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Tortricoidea
- Family
- Tortricidae (Tortricid Moths)
- Subfamily
- Tortricinae
- Tribe
- Archipini
- Genus
- Archips
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Gardens and wooded areas.
Seasonal Activity
The adults fly from just before dusk into the night and are on the wing during July and August.
Diet and Behavior
Life History
It uses a range of deciduous trees and shrubs for its foodplants.
Additional species information
Recorded status
It can be found over much of Britain. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Archips xylosteana. 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 Variegated Golden Tortrix (8)
Frequently Asked Questions About Variegated Golden Tortrix
What is Variegated Golden Tortrix?
Variegated Golden Tortrix (Archips xylosteana) is a species in the family Tortricidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Variegated Golden Tortrix found?
Habitat: Gardens and wooded areas.
When is Variegated Golden Tortrix active?
Variegated Golden Tortrix: seasonal activity - The adults fly from just before dusk into the night and are on the wing during July and August..
What is the life cycle of a Variegated Golden Tortrix?
It uses a range of deciduous trees and shrubs for its foodplants.