Orange Conch

Commophila aeneana

"Commophila aeneana", the orange conch, is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found in Great Britain, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Romania.
Orange Conch (Commophila aeneana) This is a tiny moth of the genus Commophila in the family Tortricidae, commonly known as Tortrix moths. C. aeneana is described by the Sussex Moth Group as "A very rare, Nationally Notable moth" with just four previous records in the Sussex area throughout the 20th century and eleven in total. Most records appear to be from the Thames basin although it appears very locally in a few areas in the south east of England. Usually a nocturnal flyer, it's known to occasionally be active during the day, as it was here, hardly camoflaged against it's background. It has distinctive golden-yellow forewings with metallic-blue raised markings. The moths fly from May to July, and the larvae live from September throughout the winter, feeding on the roots of Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea). Commophila aeneana,Geotagged,Spring,United Kingdom

Appearance

The wingspan is 15–19 mm. Adults are on wing from May to June in one generation per year. The forewings are golden-yellow with metallic blue markings.

Food

The larvae feed on "Senecio jacobaea", "Senecio paludosus" and "Picris hieracioides". They feed on the roots of their host plant. Larvae can be found from September throughout the winter. The species hibernates in the larval stage.

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Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderLepidoptera
FamilyTortricidae
GenusCommophila
SpeciesC. aeneana
Photographed in
United Kingdom