Cnephasia asseclana
Encyclopedia
The Flax Tortrix is a moth
of the Tortricidae
family. It is found all over Europe
.
The wingspan
is 15–18 mm. Adults are on the wing from June to August.
The caterpillar
s feed on a wide range of herbaceous plants and even dry leaves, and can become a pest. They initially mine the leaves
. Later they spin together leaves or flowers for pupation.
, and its taxonomy
has been quite confused. For long, it was known as "C. wahlbomiana", a name that has led to many misidentifications (see below) until it was finally suppressed in favor of C. virgaureana. That, however, subsequently turned out to refer to the same species as the earlier-described C. asseclana, and thus the latter name became the senior synonym. Obsolete scientific names (junior synonyms and others) of C. asseclana are:
"C. wahlbomiana" was also variously applied to C. alticolana
, C. cupressivorana, C. communana
, C. genitalana, and probably others of the C. asseclana complex. In at least one seminal study, it was even used for Eana derivana as it seems.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Tortricidae
Tortricidae
Tortricidae is a family of moths, commonly known as tortrix moths, in the order Lepidoptera. Tortricidae is a large family with over 9,400 species described, and is the sole member of the superfamily Tortricoidea. Many of these are economically important pests. Olethreutidae is a junior synonym...
family. It is found all over Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 15–18 mm. Adults are on the wing from June to August.
The caterpillar
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
s feed on a wide range of herbaceous plants and even dry leaves, and can become a pest. They initially mine the leaves
Leaf miner
Leaf miner is a term used to describe the larvae of many different species of insect which live in and eat the leaf tissue of plants. The vast majority of leaf-mining insects are moths , sawflies and flies , though some beetles and wasps also exhibit this behavior.Like Woodboring beetles, leaf...
. Later they spin together leaves or flowers for pupation.
Taxonomy
The Flax Tortrix is part of a cryptic species complexCryptic species complex
In biology, a cryptic species complex is a group of species which satisfy the biological definition of species—that is, they are reproductively isolated from each other—but whose morphology is very similar ....
, and its taxonomy
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
has been quite confused. For long, it was known as "C. wahlbomiana", a name that has led to many misidentifications (see below) until it was finally suppressed in favor of C. virgaureana. That, however, subsequently turned out to refer to the same species as the earlier-described C. asseclana, and thus the latter name became the senior synonym. Obsolete scientific names (junior synonyms and others) of C. asseclana are:
- Cnephasia confluens Réal, 1952
- Cnephasia interjectana (Haworth, [1811])
- Cnephasia latior Réal, 1953
- Cnephasia mediocris Réal, 1953
- Cnephasia oleraceana (Gibson, 1916)
- Cnephasia virgaureana (Treitschke, 1835)
- Cnephasia virgaurenana (lapsusLapsusA lapsus is an involuntary mistake made while writing or speaking. According to Freud's early psychoanalytic theory, a lapsus represents a missed deed that hides an unconscious desire....
) - Cnephasia wahlbomiana (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Sciaphila virgaureana Treitschke, 1835
- Tortrix interjectana Haworth, [1811]
- Tortrix oleraceana Gibson, 1916
- Tortrix wahlbomiana Linnaeus, 1758
"C. wahlbomiana" was also variously applied to C. alticolana
Cnephasia alticolana
Cnephasia alticolana is a moth of the Tortricidae family. It is found in Siberia and most of Europe .The wingspan is 16-22 mm...
, C. cupressivorana, C. communana
Cnephasia communana
Cnephasia communana is a moth of the Tortricidae family. It is found in Europe.The wingspan is 18–22 mm. Adults are on wing from May to July. There is one generation per year....
, C. genitalana, and probably others of the C. asseclana complex. In at least one seminal study, it was even used for Eana derivana as it seems.