Cnephasia incertana (Treitschke, 1835)
[Lepidoptera: Tortricidae]

Light Grey Tortrix


Sciaphila incertana Treitschke, 1835. Schmett. Europ. 10 (3): 91.
Cnephasia incertana
(Treitschke, 1835).


Leaf-mine: In the first instar the larva mines the leaves, forming short, irregular, blotch-like mines, but in later instars it lives externally, feeding in spun leaves and often twisting those of tender shoots (Bradley et al., 1973).

Small, full depth mine without a definite shape; little frass. Some silk is deposited in the mine. The larva soon leaves the mine and continues feeding among spun leaves (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Larva: Head light-brown or yellowish brown, edged with black postero-laterally, ocellar area blackish; prothoracic plate black edged with whitish anteriorly; abdomen dull dark green; pinacula distinct, black, sometimes brownish but with black bases to setae; anal plate large, black (Bradley et al., 1973). The overwintering larvae feed in a spinning on a range of herbaceous plants (UKMoths).

Pupa: Dull black; spines on the cremaster not bent into hooks, short, their lenght less than the distance to a ridge lying ventrad; caudal bristles only slightly thickened away from their point of origin, bent distally to form hooks (Bradley et al., 1973).

Adult: The adult is illustrated in UKMoths. and the Encyclopedia of Life. The male and female genitalia are illustrated by the Lepidoptera Dissection Group.

Adult of Cnephasia incertana
Ripon, N.Yorks
Image: © Charles Fletcher (UKMoths)

Comments: Ranunculus ficaria is treated as Ficaria verna (Lesser Celandine) by Stace (2010).

Hosts in Britain:

Asteraceae      
Chrysanthemum     Bradley et al., 1973
Fabaceae      
Lathyrus     Bradley et al., 1973
Lotus     Bradley et al., 1973
Medicago     Bradley et al., 1973
Phaseolus     Bradley et al., 1973
Trifolium     Bradley et al., 1973
Plantaginaceae      
Plantago     Bradley et al., 1973
Plantago     UKMoths
Polygonaceae      
Rumex     Bradley et al., 1973
Rumex     UKMoths
Rumex acetosa Common Sorrel Pitkin and Plant
Ranunculaceae      
Ranunculus     Bradley et al., 1973
Rosaceae     Bradley et al., 1973
Fragaria ananassa Garden Strawberry Bradley et al., 1973
Malus     Bradley et al., 1973
Vitaceae      
Vitis     Bradley et al., 1973

Hosts elsewhere:

Aceraceae      
Acer     Bladmineerders van Europa
Adoxaceae      
Adoxa moschatellina Moschatel Bladmineerders van Europa
Apiaceae      
Aegopodium podagraria Ground-elder Bladmineerders van Europa
Carum     Bladmineerders van Europa
Chaerophyllum     Bladmineerders van Europa
Conopodium     Bladmineerders van Europa
Daucus carota Carrot Bladmineerders van Europa
Foeniculum     Bladmineerders van Europa
Heracleum     Bladmineerders van Europa
Pimpinella     Bladmineerders van Europa
Scandix     Bladmineerders van Europa
Sison amomum   Bladmineerders van Europa
Araliaceae      
Hedera helix Ivy Bladmineerders van Europa
Asteraceae      
Achillea clavenae   Bladmineerders van Europa
Achillea millefolium Yarrow Bladmineerders van Europa
Adenostyles alpina   Bladmineerders van Europa
Arctium     Bladmineerders van Europa
Arnica     Bladmineerders van Europa
Artemisia     Bladmineerders van Europa
Aster     Bladmineerders van Europa
Bellis     Bladmineerders van Europa
Calendula     Bladmineerders van Europa
Carthamus     Bladmineerders van Europa
Centaurea     Bladmineerders van Europa
Cichorium     Bladmineerders van Europa
Cirsium     Bladmineerders van Europa
Crepis     Bladmineerders van Europa
Helianthus     Bladmineerders van Europa
Lactuca     Bladmineerders van Europa
Scorzonera     Bladmineerders van Europa
Serratula     Bladmineerders van Europa
Sonchus     Bladmineerders van Europa
Tussilago     Bladmineerders van Europa
Zinnia elegans Youth-and-age Bladmineerders van Europa
Boraginaceae      
Echium     Bladmineerders van Europa
Lithospermum     Bladmineerders van Europa
Myosotis sylvatica   Bladmineerders van Europa
Pulmonaria officinalis Lungwort Bladmineerders van Europa
Symphytum     Bladmineerders van Europa
Brassicaceae      
Barbarea     Bladmineerders van Europa
Brassica napus Rape Bladmineerders van Europa
Brassica rapa Turnip Bladmineerders van Europa
Cakile maritima   Bladmineerders van Europa
Capsella     Bladmineerders van Europa
Cardamine     Bladmineerders van Europa
Cheiranthus     Bladmineerders van Europa
Erysimum     Bladmineerders van Europa
Hirschfeldia incana Hoary Mustard Bladmineerders van Europa
Lepidium     Bladmineerders van Europa
Neslia     Bladmineerders van Europa
Thlaspi     Bladmineerders van Europa
Campanulaceae      
Campanula     Bladmineerders van Europa
Cannabaceae      
Humulus lupulus Hop Bladmineerders van Europa
Caprifoliaceae      
Lonicera     Bladmineerders van Europa
Caryophyllaceae      
Agrostemma githago Corncockle Bladmineerders van Europa
Cerastium fontanum subsp. triviale   Bladmineerders van Europa
Cerastium glomeratum Sticky Mouse-ear Bladmineerders van Europa
Cerastium semidecandrum Little Mouse-ear Bladmineerders van Europa
Holosteum umbellatum Jagged Chickweed Bladmineerders van Europa
Silene latifolia subsp. alba   Bladmineerders van Europa
Chenopodiaceae      
Atriplex     Bladmineerders van Europa
Chenopodium     Bladmineerders van Europa
Clusiaceae      
Hypericum     Bladmineerders van Europa
Convolvulaceae      
Calystegia sepium Hedge Bindweed Bladmineerders van Europa
Convolvulus     Bladmineerders van Europa
Crassulaceae      
Umbilicus     Bladmineerders van Europa
Cucurbitaceae      
Bryonia     Bladmineerders van Europa
Cucurbita     Bladmineerders van Europa
Dioscoreaceae      
Tamus communis Black Bryony Bladmineerders van Europa
Euphorbiaceae      
Euphorbia     Bladmineerders van Europa
Fabaceae      
Anthyllis     Bladmineerders van Europa
Astragalus     Bladmineerders van Europa
Galega     Bladmineerders van Europa
Genista     Bladmineerders van Europa
Lathyrus niger Black Pea Bladmineerders van Europa
Lens culinaris Lentil Bladmineerders van Europa
Lupinus     Bladmineerders van Europa
Melilotus     Bladmineerders van Europa
Onobrychis     Bladmineerders van Europa
Trifolium pratense Red Clover Bladmineerders van Europa
Trigonella     Bladmineerders van Europa
Vicia faba Broad Bean Bladmineerders van Europa
Fagaceae      
Fagus sylvatica Beech Bladmineerders van Europa
Fumariaceae      
Fumaria     Bladmineerders van Europa
Geraniaceae      
Erodium     Bladmineerders van Europa
Grossulariaceae      
Ribes     Bladmineerders van Europa
Hippocastanaceae      
Aesculus hippocastanum Horse-chestnut Bladmineerders van Europa
Lamiaceae      
Lamium     Bladmineerders van Europa
Melissa     Bladmineerders van Europa
Stachys sylvatica Hedge Woundwort Bladmineerders van Europa
Teucrium     Bladmineerders van Europa
Liliaceae      
Colchicum     Bladmineerders van Europa
Gagea     Bladmineerders van Europa
Tulipa     Bladmineerders van Europa
Onagraceae      
Epilobium hirsutum Great Willowherb Bladmineerders van Europa
Plantaginaceae      
Globularia     Bladmineerders van Europa
Plumbaginaceae      
Armeria maritima Thrift Bladmineerders van Europa
Poaceae      
Dactylis     Bladmineerders van Europa
Phalaris arundinacea Reed Canary-grass Bladmineerders van Europa
Polygonaceae      
Fagopyrum     Bladmineerders van Europa
Rumex     Bladmineerders van Europa
Portulacaceae      
Claytonia     Bladmineerders van Europa
Primulaceae      
Androsace     Bladmineerders van Europa
Cyclamen     Bladmineerders van Europa
Ranunculaceae      
Aconitum     Bladmineerders van Europa
Aquilegia     Bladmineerders van Europa
Caltha     Bladmineerders van Europa
Delphinium     Bladmineerders van Europa
Myosurus     Bladmineerders van Europa
Ranunculus ficaria Lesser Celandine Bladmineerders van Europa
Rosaceae      
Agrimonia eupatoria Agrimony Bladmineerders van Europa
Alchemilla     Bladmineerders van Europa
Crataegus     Bladmineerders van Europa
Geum urbanum Wood Avens Bladmineerders van Europa
Rubiaceae      

Asperula

    Bladmineerders van Europa
Saxifragaceae      
Chrysosplenium     Bladmineerders van Europa
Saxifraga     Bladmineerders van Europa
Scrophulariaceae      
Mimulus     Bladmineerders van Europa
Scrophularia     Bladmineerders van Europa
Valerianaceae      
Valeriana tripteris   Bladmineerders van Europa
Verbenaceae      
Verbena     Bladmineerders van Europa

Comments: On the continent it has been recorded on more than 200 host plants (Bradley et al., 1973).

Time of year - larvae: September to May and June, the young larva spinning a hibernaculm and overwintering (Bradley et al., 1973).

Time of year - adults: June and July (UKMoths; Bradley et al., 1973).

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Widespread in Britain including Anglesey, Bedfordshire, Caernarvonshire, Cambridgeshire, Cumberland, Derbyshire, Dorset, East Cornwall, East Gloucestershire, East Kent, East Norfolk, East Suffolk, Easterness, Forfar, Glamorgan, Herefordshire, Hertfordshire, Huntingdonshire, Kincardine, Merionethshire, Mid-west Yorkshire, Middlesex, North Aberdeen, North Devon, North Essex, North Hampshire, North Somerset, North Wiltshire, Northumberland South, Radnorshire, Shropshire, South Devon, South Essex, South Hampshire, South Lancaster, South Wiltshire, Stafford, Surrey, Warwickshire, West Cornwall, West Gloucestershire, West Kent, West Norfolk, West Suffolk, Westmorland and Worcestershire (NBN Gateway - N.B. includes Watsonian Vice Counties having publicly available records that fall within or overlap the vice county border at 10km resolution or better i.e. a record for a vice county may relate to an adjacent vice county - for included datasets see NBN Grid map below). Also recorded from the Channel Is. (Karsholt and van Nieukerken in Fauna Europaea).

NBN Grid map: Note that not all datasets on the NBN Gateway may be available on the map below. If you are an NBN Gateway registered user you can request access for missing datasets via the link 'Open interactive map in new window' below.

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Crete, Croatia, Czech Republic, Danish mainland, Estonia, European Turkey, Finland, French mainland, Germany, Greek mainland, Hungary, Ireland, Italian mainland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Norwegian mainland, Poland, Portuguese mainland, Romania, Sardinia, Sicily, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spanish mainland, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands and Ukraine (Karsholt and van Nieukerken in Fauna Europaea). Also recorded in North Africa, Asia Minor and Transcaucasia (Bradley et al., 1973).

NBN interactive distribution map(s) of known host species in Great Britain and Ireland and elsewhere:

Achillea millefolium, Adoxa moschatellina, Aegopodium podagraria, Aesculus hippocastanum, Agrimonia eupatoria, Agrostemma githago, Armeria maritima, Brassica napus, Brassica rapa, Cakile maritima, Calystegia sepium, Cerastium fontanum subsp. triviale, Cerastium glomeratum, Cerastium semidecandrum, Daucus carota, Epilobium hirsutum, Fagus sylvatica, Geum urbanum, Hedera helix, Hirschfeldia incana, Holosteum umbellatum, Humulus lupulus, Lathyrus niger, Lens culinaris, Myosotis sylvatica, Phalaris arundinacea, Pulmonaria officinalis, Ranunculus ficaria (= Ficaria verna), Rumex acetosa, Silene latifolia subsp. alba, Sison amomum, Stachys sylvatica, Tamus communis, Trifolium pratense, Vicia faba

Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: Unknown.



External links: Search the internet:
Belgian Lepidoptera
Biodiversity Heritage Library
Bladmineerders van Europa
British leafminers
Encyclopedia of Life
Fauna Europaea
NBN Gateway
UKMoths
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Last updated 29-Jan-2012  Brian Pitkin Top of page