Archips podana

• Subfamily: Tortricinae, Archipini
• Wingspan: 18-26 mm
• Flight period: Jun - Aug
• Spread: Common
• Host plants: Polyphagous

Information

The Archips podana is a moth of the Tortricidae family, subfamily Tortricinae, with a wingspan of 18-26 mm.
It is distributed in almost all of Europe, with the exception of Croatia and Ukraine. *
Its range extends to the entire Palearctic ecozone as far as Japan and has been accidentally introduced in North America. ***
In Italy it is also present in the islands. *

The Archips podana is a species that has sexual dimorphism, given by the color and shape of the front wing, in fact, the male has a dark brown base color, a well-defined median band, as well as a rib fold in the anterior part of the wing. ****

In the female, on the other hand, the basic color ranges from light brown to purplish brown, with darker reticular spots. In both sexes, the rear wing has a gray base color. Monovoltine moth, in particularly hot areas can give rise to a second generation.
They can be found in different environments such as forests, scrublands and gardens.

Females lay 50 to 100 single eggs on the surface of the leaves.
The eggs are covered with a waxy secretion that protects and camouflages the mass. The eggs hatch after two to three weeks and the larvae begin to feed on leaves.
In the next phase they feed on the fruits where they often create the shelter suitable for wintering.

In spring, the larvae are 15-20 mm long, have a green or gray / pale greenish color, the head and prothoracic shield are reddish brown and are ready for nymphosis. **
The pupa is green / ocher in color with brown shades, more intense on the cremaster and abdominal segments.

The Archips podana is considered an important parasite of the apple and pear tree. The larvae are moderately polyphagous and feed on a great variety of trees and shrubs, such as:
Alnus glutinosa, (European alder), Betulaceae, Corylus (hazelnut), Picea abies (spruce), Malus domestica (apple tree) Prunus avium (cherry), Prunus domestica (plum), Fagus (beech), Quercus petraea (oak), Vaccinium sp. (blueberry), Rubus sp. (raspberry, blackberry) and many others.


* Lepidoptera mundi https://lepidoptera.eu/ - Fauna Europea https://fauna-eu.org/
** Bestimmungshilfe für die in Europa nachgewiesenen Schmetterlingsarten - http://lepiforum.de/
*** Bradley, JD; Tremewan, WG; Smith, Arthur (1973). Falene Tortricoidi Britanniche. Cochylidae e Tortricidae:Tortricinae.
**** Online guide to the moths of Great Britain and Ireland - https://ukmoths.org.uk/