Garden Tortrix
Clepsis peritana
Unlike many leafroller moths that feed exclusively on live foliage, its caterpillars readily consume dead, decaying plant leaves on the soil surface.
- Scientific name
- Clepsis peritana
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Tortricidae › Clepsis
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Woodland edges, orchards, agricultural fields, gardens, and suburban parks.
- Diet
- Larvae feed on decaying leaf litter, fallen fruit, strawberries, ornamental plants, and various broadleaf weeds; adults take flower nectar or water.
- Range
- United States, Canada, Mexico
- Size
- Wingspan 10–15 mm
- Lifespan
- 2–4 weeks
- Active
- nocturnal
- Threats
- Pesticide application in managed orchards and gardens.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to humans. It does not bite, sting, or carry venom, though handling may cause minor skin irritation in sensitive individuals. No medical action is needed.
Clepsis peritana , the garden tortrix or strawberry garden tortrix , is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found in Spain, Cuba, as well as North America, where it has been recorded from southern Canada throughout the United States.
Photo: Katja Schulz, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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