Neocochylis molliculana

• Subfamily: Tortricinae, Cochylini
• Wingspan: 13-15 mm
• Flight period: May - Aug
• Spread: Common
• Host plants: Asteraceae Caprifoliaceae and Linaceae

Information

Neocochylis molliculana previously known as Cochylis molliculana *** and also called Ox-tongue Conch is a moth of the Tortricidae family, subfamily Tortricinae, with wingspan of about 11-15 mm.
In Europe we find it in Spain, France, United Kingdom, Croatia and Greece *
In Italy it is also present in Sicily. *

The front wings of Neocochylis molliculana have a creamy white background color, with streaks ranging from lead gray to ocher to brown / reddish.
A dark brown / ocher and dark gray band in the middle of the wing is clearly visible. The mottling is more evident in the marginal region of the wing.
The edge, delimited by a thin dark line, is fringed. The rear wing is dark gray, also fringed.

It frequents coastal habitats, chalky meadows and scrubs. Adults are visible from May to early August from dusk onwards, they can be attracted by artificial light.

Neocochylis molliculana is a bivoltine species, with two generations per year. Adults fly in May - June and August - September. The females lay their eggs on the Picris echioides flower head in May-June and July-September.
The larvae feed on the flower heads of host plant. ****

The first generation pupates in a silk cocoon inside the seed heads, while the second generation leaves the heads of the seed and larvae spin a cocoon among the debris where they overwinter.

The larvae feed on Asteraceae it seems exclusively in the seed of Picris echioides.


* Lepidoptera mundi https://lepidoptera.eu/ - Fauna Europea https://fauna-eu.org/
** Bestimmungshilfe für die in Europa nachgewiesenen Schmetterlingsarten - http://lepiforum.de/
*** Brown et al. (2019)
**** Keith P. Bland, E.F. Hancock, J. Razowski Tortricidae, part 1: Tortricinae & Chlidanotinae