Heather Tortrix
Common NameHeather Tortrix
Scientific NameAcleris hyemana
FamilyTortricidae
SubfamilyTortricinae
Wingspan (mm)17.5
Wing Patterncryptic
Primary Colorsbrown, reddish-brown, cream, grey
HabitatHeathland, moorland, bogs, areas with abundant heather
Geographic RangeWestern Europe, including Great Britain and Ireland, extending into parts of Central and Northern Europe
Host PlantsCalluna vulgaris
Flight PeriodOctober to April (overwintering adult)
Flight Stylefluttering
Conservation Statusleast-concern
Lifecycle NotesLarvae feed on the shoots of heather, often spinning leaves together. Pupation occurs within the spun leaves on the host plant. Adults emerge in late autumn, overwinter, and become active again in early spring.
Identification TipsDistinguished by its mottled brown and cream forewings, often with a reddish-brown central patch, and its unusual flight period from late autumn through winter into early spring, primarily found in association with heather.
Description
A small moth with forewings displaying a highly variable, cryptic pattern of reddish-brown, dark brown, and creamy-white patches, often with a prominent raised scale tuft on the thorax.
