TORTRICIDAE: Tortricinae ⁵

Planotortrix excessana (Walker, 1863). F.L. 9-13 mm. Endemic. Common.

Habitat, seasonality and behaviour ⁶

This common moth is on the wing from October though to the end of the summer. It is easily attracted to artificial light in native forest clearings.

Life history ⁶

Larvae web together and feed on leaves; may also feed on seeds. This species is a true generalist covering plant families: Birch, Beech, Pea, Daisy, Fuchsia, Myrtle, Gooseberry, Dock, Ivy, Rose, Willow, Pine, Honeysuckle etc.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Steve Kerr, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Steve Kerr
2. (c) Tony Steer, all rights reserved, uploaded by Tony Steer
3. (c) Tony Steer, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Tony Steer
4. George Vernon Hudson , no known copyright restrictions (public domain), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fig_27_-_30_Tortrix_excessana_Plate_XXIV_The_butterflies_(cropped).jpg
5. Adapted by Tony Steer from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planotortrix_excessana
6. (c) Tony Steer, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNaturalist NZ taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• CUIC Insect Images
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• Tortricid.net

iNaturalist NZ Map