Olethreutes arcuella

Junior synonyms of this species are:[1]

• Olethreutes arcuellus (lapsus)
• Phalaena arcuana Linnaeus, 1761
• Phalaena arcuella Clerck, 1759
• Phalaena lambergiana Scopoli, 1763
• Tortrix arcuana (Linnaeus, 1761)

This species can be found in most of Europe, in the East the Palearctic ecozone and in the Near East.[2]

These moths inhabit woodland, fields, hill pasture and heaths.[3]

Olethreutes arcuella. Upperside

Olethreutes arcuella has a wingspan of 14–18 mm.[3] Forewings of these medium size moths have an orange-rufous ground colour, with some yellow patches, a few metallic blue-grey or silver-colored streaks and a wide black marking in the middle, which includes a row of three small, silver colored spots. The hindwings are brown.[3] The caterpillars are purplish- gray to violet-brown and have a yellowish-brown head.[4]

This species is quite similar to Olethreutes subtilana, but has rather narrower wings.

This species usually has one generation (univoltine).[4] The flight time of these day-active moths ranges between late May and August.[3] The caterpillars feed on dead and dried out leaves and similar plant material.[3][5][6] Also pupation takes place in plant debris.[7]

• Baixeras, J.; Brown, J.W. & Gilligan, T.M. (2009): Online World Catalogue of the Tortricidae – Olethreutes arcuella. Version 1.3.1. Retrieved 2010-APR-19.
• Savela, Markku (2005): Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and some other life forms – Olethreutes arcuellus [sic]. Version of 2005-SEP-16. Retrieved 2010-APR-19.
• Grabe, Albert (1942): Eigenartige Geschmacksrichtungen bei Kleinschmetterlingsraupen ["Strange tastes among micromoth caterpillars"]. Zeitschrift des Wiener Entomologen-Vereins 27: 105-109 [in German]. PDF fulltext

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