Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods) ➔ Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods) ➔ Class Insecta (Insects) ➔ Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and moths) ➔ Family Tortricidae (Leafroller moths)
Ptycholoma lecheana (Linnaeus, 1758)
Brindled Tortrix
Synonyms and other combinations:
Phalaena (Tortrix) lecheana Linnaeus, 1758 [original combination] |
Further vernacular names:
Leche's Twist MothClassification:
Ptycholoma lecheana belongs to the subfamily Tortricinae, tribe Archipini.Distribution:
Europe, Asia.Habitat:
Deciduous and mixed forests, orchards, parks and gardens.Description:
Wingspan 15 - 22 mm; forewings with predominantly yellow scales and silver-grey markings; hindwings dark brown.Length of pupa between 9 - 10 mm.
Biology:
Ptycholoma lecheana forms one generation per year. The moths fly (depending on location) in the period from the end of May to July. They are active from noon to sunset, at the beginning of the night and in the morning.The females begin with the oviposition 2 to 3 days after slipping. A female produces on average about 160 eggs. The eggs are laid in clutches of 5 - 80 along leaf veins. At 22°C the development of the eggs takes about 6 to 7 days.
The caterpillars of Ptycholoma lecheana usually hatch at the end of July. The polyphagous caterpillars skeletonize leaves and gnaw small holes into the fruits of their host plants. Host plants are especially apple and plum, as well as oak, birch, lime, ash, elm, maple, poplar, willow and other trees and shrubs. The caterpillars spend the winter in the 2nd and 3rd larval stages in dense white cocoons in protected places, such as bark crevices, under or in leaves spun on bark and under scales of dry buds. The wintered caterpillars appear in April or May, when the average daytime temperature exceeds 10°C. They feed on sprouting leaves, leaf and flower buds, flowers and ovaries. The caterpillars pupate at their feeding sites or in bark crevices. After a pupal period of about 10 - 12 days the moths of the new generation hatch.
Note:
The caterpillar shown here is the victim of the larvae of parasitoids, which belong to the hymenoptera. The parasitoids had more than doubled in length in only 18 hours and, roughly speaking, increased their volume tenfold! Already one day later the upper half of the caterpillar was eaten empty. The parasitoids could not be found. The next day, I've discovered four little cocoons. From these cocoons, 4 nimble wasps hatched on June 4.References, further reading, links:
- Acleris emargana
- Acleris forsskaleana
- Acroclita subsequana
- Adoxophyes orana
- Aethes sanguinana
- Aethes sp.
- Agapeta hamana
- Aleimma loeflingiana
- Ancylis badiana
- Ancylis laetana
- Ancylis mitterbacheriana
- Ancylis unculana
- Aphelia sp.
- Apotomis betuletana
- Apotomis turbidana
- Archips crataegana
- Archips podana
- Archips rosana
- Archips xylosteana
- Capua vulgana
- Celypha lacunana
- Clepsis coriacanus
- Cnephasia communana
- Cydia amplana
- Cydia strobilella
- Dichrorampha sp.
- Epagoge grotiana
- Epiblema sticticana
- Epinotia immundana
- Epinotia ramella
- Epinotia solandriana
- Epinotia tenerana
- Eucosma cana
- Eulia ministrana
- Grapholita compositella
- Grapholita jungiella
- Gypsonoma sociana/dealbana
- Hedya nubiferana
- Lathronympha strigana
- Metendothenia atropunctana
- Notocelia uddmanniana
- Olethreutes arcuella
- Orthotaenia undulana
- Pammene aurana
- Pandemis cerasana
- Pandemis cinnamomeana
- Pseudargyrotoza conwagana
- Ptycholoma lecheana
- Syndemis musculana
- Tortricidae sp.
- Tortricodes alternella
- Tortrix viridana
- Zeiraphera isertana