Grapholita compositella
Encyclopedia
The Clover Seed Moth is a moth
of the Tortricidae
family. It is found from Europe
to Asia Minor
, Mongolia
, China
and eastern Russia
. It is also present in North America
.
The wingspan
is 8–10 mm. There are two generations per year, with adults on wing in May and June and again in August. Males fly during the day, while females fly towards sunset.
The larvae feed on Trifolium species, including Trifolium pratense and Trifolium repens. They have also been recorded on Glycine max, Medicago sativa, Melilotus, Lotus corniculatus
and other Leguminosae species. The larvae of the first generation feed in the stems, tunnelling upwards from the base. Second generation larvae usually feed in spun terminal leaves and flowerheads, and sometimes in the pods. Pupation takes place in a whitish silken cocoon amongst litter on the ground.
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 from 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...
to Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
, Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and eastern Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. It is also present in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
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 8–10 mm. There are two generations per year, with adults on wing in May and June and again in August. Males fly during the day, while females fly towards sunset.
The larvae feed on Trifolium species, including Trifolium pratense and Trifolium repens. They have also been recorded on Glycine max, Medicago sativa, Melilotus, Lotus corniculatus
Lotus corniculatus
Lotus corniculatus is a common flowering plant native to grassland temperate Eurasia and North Africa. The common name is Bird's-foot Trefoil , though the common name is often also applied to other members of the genus...
and other Leguminosae species. The larvae of the first generation feed in the stems, tunnelling upwards from the base. Second generation larvae usually feed in spun terminal leaves and flowerheads, and sometimes in the pods. Pupation takes place in a whitish silken cocoon amongst litter on the ground.