Cydia fagiglandana

Beech moth
Adult of Cydia fagiglandana
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Clade:	Pancrustacea
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Tortricidae
Genus:	Cydia
Species:	C. fagiglandana
Binomial name
Cydia fagiglandana (Zeller, 1841)
Synonyms
Kenneliola fagiglandana Zeller, 18411 Cydia grossana Haworth, 1811 Tortrix fagiglandana Zeller, 1841 Cydia fagiglandana corsica Gibeaux, 1999 Tortrix grossana Haworth, [1811] Cydia fagiglandana subsp. corsica Gibeaux, 19992 Cydia nimbana Pierce & Metcalfe, 1922

Cydia fagiglandana, the beech moth, is a moth of the family Tortricidae.

This species is present in most of Europe.³ These moths mainly occur in beech woodland⁴ since it is a specialist with beech seeds as the major food of its larvae.⁵

Cydia fagiglandana can reach a wingspan of 12–16 mm.⁴ The forewings are brown-black irrorated with whitish, crossed by pairs of fine dark brown stripes. The basal patch is slightly darker, the edge sharply angulated. There are two leaden-metallic streaks from costa posteriorly and a large darker coppery-tinged terminal patch hardly reaching costa. The ocellus within this patch is edged with leaden-metallic, enclosing some blackish marks. The hindwings are fuscous. The larvae are light yellowish or whitish, longitudinally clouded with orange; spots orange; head pale brownish; plate of 2 pale ochreous.⁶ This species is rather similar to Cydia splendana.⁴

The moth flies from April to September depending on the location.⁴ They are active in the evening. The larvae feed sometimes on oak (Quercus ilex, Quercus robur),⁷ but usually on beech nuts (Fagus sylvatica).⁴ The larval stage may last for two years. Pupation usually occurs in a cocoon spun in the soil or in rotten wood.⁸ The first adults emerge in late spring.