Privet Tortrix
Clepsis consimilana
Like other tortrix moths, the caterpillars use silk to roll and tie leaves together, creating a snug, protective tube where they can feed in safety.
- Scientific name
- Clepsis consimilana
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Tortricidae › Clepsis
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Woodland edges, suburban gardens, hedgerows, and parks.
- Diet
- Larvae feed on privet, ivy, lilac, and various fruit trees; adults sip nectar.
- Range
- Europe, Western Asia, North America
- Size
- Wingspan of 13 to 19 mm
- Lifespan
- Up to 1 year (mostly spent as larva; adults live for 2-3 weeks)
- Active
- nocturnal
- Threats
- Widespread pesticide and herbicide use in residential gardens, and the loss of native hedgerows.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. This tiny moth poses absolutely no danger to humans or pets. If you find one indoors, gently cup it and release it outside near a hedge or shrub.
Clepsis consimilana , the privet tortrix , is a moth of the Tortricidae family.
Photo: Julien Renoult, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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