Tortricidae

49.3473 Hemp Tortrix Grapholita delineana (Walker, 1863)

Adventive? / Immigrant? Perhaps locally colonised.

Similar species: Meadow Tortrix Grapholita compositella which is slightly smaller (4 to 4.5mm) and darker.

Forewing: 5 to 6.5mm

Habitats: Originally native to East Asia, it is now a pest of commercial Hemp and Hop fields in eastern Europe and Russia and has spread to central and southern Europe and North America.

Habits: The first recorded moths in Britain were 3 females at actinic light in Lowestoft, East Suffolk on 14th July 2024. They were possibly imported with Cannabis plants and breeding locally. It occasionally comes to light.

Foodplant: The larvae skeletonise Hemp and Hop leaves after which they bore into the stem. The later stages feed on the flowers and seeds. It pupates in the soil.