Grapholita compositella

Grapholita compositella
Grapholita compositella
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Section: Cossina
Family: Tortricidae
Genus: Grapholita
Species: G. compositella
Binomial name
Grapholita compositella
(Fabricius, 1775)
Synonyms
  • Tinea compositella Fabricius, 1775
  • Pyralis composana Fabricius, 1798
  • Tortrix gundiana Hubner, [1796-1799]
  • Euspila simillimana Toll, 1953

The Clover Seed Moth (Grapholita compositella) is a moth of the Tortricidae family. It is found from Europe to Asia Minor, Mongolia, China and eastern Russia. It is also present in North America.

The wingspan is 8–10 mm. There are two generations per year, with adults on wing in May and June and again in August. Males fly during the day, while females fly towards sunset.

The larvae feed on Trifolium species, including Trifolium pratense and Trifolium repens. They have also been recorded on Glycine max, Medicago sativa, Melilotus, Lotus corniculatus and other Leguminosae species. The larvae of the first generation feed in the stems, tunnelling upwards from the base. Second generation larvae usually feed in spun terminal leaves and flowerheads, and sometimes in the pods. Pupation takes place in a whitish silken cocoon amongst litter on the ground.

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