Agapeta hamana

• Subfamily: Tortricinae, Cochylini
• Wingspan: 15-25 mm
• Flight period: May - Sep
• Spread: Common
• Host plants: Asteraceae, Fabaceae

Information

The Agapeta hamana also known as The Common Yellow Conch is a moth of the Tortricidae family, subfamily Tortricinae, with wingspan of about 15-25 mm.
Distributed in most of Europe with the exclusion of Croatia and Greece.*
Its range extends Siberia, Caucasus, Kazakhstan, Asia Minor, Central Asia, Iran, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Western China and North India. ***
In Italy it is absent from the islands. *

The front wings of the Agapeta hamana have an intense yellow color, with variable markings, of a hazelnut / rust color, on the rear part of the wing. Characters always present are a hazel diagonal stripe that starts from the inner corner to end in the median area, and a small arc-shaped spot that starts from the cubital area to finish near the border in the basal area. With closed wings these spots give the appearance of a smiling face. **

Sometimes there are numerous irregular variable ferruginous marks towards the margins. The hind wings are rather dark gray. ****

Adults have been observed from mid-May to early September in a long annual generation, they are predominantly crepuscular or nocturnal.
It frequents pastures, swamps, open woodlands, moors, ruins and gardens and other places where the host plant develops.

The larva of the Agapeta hamana lives in the roots of host plants. It overwinters, once fully fed, in a silk cocoon in host plants or in the ground. The nymphosis takes place in May in the cocoon. *****

The larvae feed on Carduus sp. (thistle), and sometimes also of Cirsium sp. (field thistle), but there are also reports on Ononis repens and Trifolium sp. (clover).


* Lepidoptera mundi https://lepidoptera.eu/ - Fauna Europea https://fauna-eu.org/
** Bestimmungshilfe für die in Europa nachgewiesenen Schmetterlingsarten - http://lepiforum.de/
*** Pasquale Trematerra, 2010: Clepsis trifasciata sp. n. con note su alcuni Lepidotteri Tortricidi del Kirghizistan. Journal of Entomological and Acarological Research Serie II 42
**** Meyrick, E., 1895 A Handbook of British Lepidoptera MacMillan
***** Catalogue of the Lepidoptera of Belgium - https://projects.biodiversity.be/lepidoptera/species/5309/