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Archips xylosteana, the variegated golden tortrix or brown oak tortrix, is a moth of the family Tortricidae.

Archips xylosteana
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Tortricidae
Genus:	Archips
Species:	A. xylosteana
Binomial name
Archips xylosteana (Linnaeus, 1758)[1]
Synonyms
List Archips westriniana Archips characterana Phalaena (Tortrix) xylosteana Linnaeus, 1758 Phalaena (Tortrix) characterana Hubner, 1793 Phalaena (Tortrix) densana Villers, 1789 Phalaena densata Fourcroy, 1785 Tortrix gilvana Eversmann, 1842 Pyralis hybnerana Fabricius, 1794 Pyralis obliquana Fabricius, 1781 Cacoecia xylosteana var. pallens Kennel, 1910 Archips xylosteana sabrinae Leraut & Luquet, 1996 Tortrix westriniana Thunberg & Borgstrom, 1784

Distribution

This Palearctic moth is widespread in most of Europe, in Asia (China, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Siberia, Turkey), and in northern Africa (Algeria).[2][3][4]

Habitat

This moth species inhabit woodland and scrub in hilly and mountainous areas. [5][6]

Description

Archips xylosteana is a medium-sized to large moth with a wingspan reaching 14–23 millimetres (0.55–0.91 in).[6] The females are usually slightly larger than the males. The basic color of the fore wings varies from yellow-brown or ocher to pinkish brown, mottled with dark reddish brown markings. Forewings are broad and roughly rectangular. Hind wings are light grayish brown. [4] The design of the wings may appear lightly asymmetric, because at rest one of the wing covers the other[4] and hides part of it. The caterpillar varies from whitish gray to bluish with greenish reflections and have a black head. [4] Meyrick describes it - Forewings with termen sinuate, vertical, costal fold from base to 3/5, irregular ; ochreous more or less fuscous-tinged, paler towards costa ; a transverse dorsal spot near base, central fascia with anterior edge sinuate, costal patch broadly connected with it near costa, a blotch from above tornus sometimes connected with costal patch, and an apical spot dark ferruginous-brown. Hindwings grey, apex sometimes yellowish-tinged. Larva whitish-grey or pale greenish ; head black ;plate of 2 black, anterior edge white.[7] Julius von Kennel provides a full description. [8]

Biology

These moths fly from June to August in one generation.[4][6] They rest during the day in the foliage of trees and shrubs. Their activity begins at dusk. [6] They overwinter on tree trunks and thick boughs.

Caterpillars grow protected in a rolled leaf, perpendicularly to the midrib, from April to June. These larvae are polyphagous, feeding on various shrubs and deciduous trees, [4] mainly oak (Quercus), elm (Ulmus), linden (Tilia), hazel (Corylus), maples (Acer), ash (Fraxinus, firs (Abies), brambles (Rubus), honeysuckle (Lonicera) and St John's worts (Hypericum)). [5] They can also be found on various fruit trees (apple, pear, etc.) [9] and on some herbaceous plants.

Gallery

• 
  Caterpillar
• 
  Moth, side view
• 
  Moth, female
• 
  Mounted specimen. Male

Bibliography

• Linnaeus, C. (1758): Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. 1-824. Holmiae (Laurentius Salvius).
• Robinson, G. S. & E. Schmidt Nielsen (1983): The Microlepidoptera described by Linnaeus and Clerck. — Systematic Entomology 8: 191-242.

References

External links

• Lepiforum e.V.

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