Tortricidae

49.037 Cyclamen Tortrix Clepsis spectrana (Treitschke, 1830)

Common

Similar species: The recently discovered immigrant Clepsis peritana is smaller (4.5 to 7.5) without the dark basal streak on the leading edge of the forewing and and has a shorter more rounded dark marking in the outer area of the leading edge. Also similar is 49.006 Paramesia gnomana.

Forewing: 7.5 to 11mm (females are on average larger)

Habitats: Marshes, fens, bogs, damp woodland, gardens, sand-dunes and salt-marsh.

Habits: The moth flies from dusk and later comes to light.

Foodplant: The polyphagous larva feeds in the spun leaves and flowers of willowherbs, cinquefoils, Hop, Stinging Nettle, Meadow-sweet and many other marsh plants, Sea Lavender, Sea Aster, Sea Wormwood, salt-marsh Rush and other coastal plants. In gardens on Cyclamen, Strawberry and Pelargonium. It also feeds on trees such as oaks, Sycamore and Sitka Spruce. It pupates in a white cocoon in the spinning.