Cnephasia asseclana
Introduction '''''Cnephasia asseclana''''', the '''flax tortrix''', is a moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found all over Europe.The wingspan is 15–18 mm. Adults are on the wing from June to August.The caterpillars feed on a wide range of herbaceous plants and even dry leaves and can become a pest. They initially mine the leaves. Later, they spin together leaves or flowers for pupation.
Taxonomy The flax tortrix is part of a cryptic species complex, and its taxonomy has been quite confused. For long, it was known as "''C. wahlbomiana''", a name that has led to many misidentifications (see below) until it was finally suppressed in favor of ''C. virgaureana''. That, however, subsequently turned out to refer to the same species as the earlier-described ''C. asseclana'', and thus the latter name became the senior synonym. Obsolete scientific names (junior synonyms and others) of ''C. asseclana'' are:* ''Cnephasia confluens'' Réal, 1952* ''Cnephasia interjectana'' (Haworth, 1811)* ''Cnephasia latior'' Réal, 1953* ''Cnephasia mediocris'' Réal, 1953* ''Cnephasia oleraceana'' (Gibson, 1916)* ''Cnephasia virgaureana'' (Treitschke, 1835)* ''Cnephasia virgaurenana'' (''lapsus'')* ''Cnephasia wahlbomiana'' (Linnaeus, 1758)* ''Sciaphila virgaureana'' Treitschke, 1835* ''Tortrix interjectana'' Haworth, 1811* ''Tortrix oleraceana'' Gibson, 1916* ''Tortrix wahlbomiana'' Linnaeus, 1758"''C. wahlbomiana''"  was also variously applied to ''C. alticolana'', ''C. cupressivorana'', ''C. communana'', ''C. genitalana'', and probably others of the ''C. asseclana'' complex. In at least one seminal study, it was even used for ''Eana derivana'' as it seems.
Footnotes
References *  (2009):  Online World Catalogue of the Tortricidae –  ''Cnephasia asseclana''. Version 1.3.1.Retrieved 2009-JAN-20. *  (1978): Biologie comparée et étude systématique des tordeuses nuisibles du genre ''Cnephasia'' "Comparative biology and systematic study of pest tortrix moths of genus ''Cnephasia''". ''Cahiers de liaison de l'OPIE'' '''29'''(2): 4-7 in French. PDF fulltext *  (2005): Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and some other life forms –  ''Cnephasia asseclana''. Version of 2005-SEP-14.Retrieved 2010-APR-14. *  (1942): Eigenartige Geschmacksrichtungen bei Kleinschmetterlingsraupen "Strange tastes among micromoth caterpillars". ''Zeitschrift des Wiener Entomologen-Vereins'' '''27''': 105-109 in German. PDF fulltext
External links * UKmoths