Marbled Piercer
Cydia splendana
Larvae inside fallen acorns can sometimes cause the nut to twitch or hop across the forest floor in search of a cooler, shaded spot to pupate.
- Scientific name
- Cydia splendana
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Tortricidae › Cydia
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Oak and sweet chestnut woodlands, mixed temperate forests, and parks.
- Diet
- Larvae feed on the inner kernels of acorns and sweet chestnuts; adults do not feed or occasionally sip nectar.
- Range
- Europe, Asia Minor, North Africa
- Size
- Wingspan of 14 to 22 mm.
- Lifespan
- Approximately 1 year (with adults living only 10 to 14 days).
- Active
- nocturnal
- Threats
- Loss of ancient oak woodlands and heavy pesticide application in commercial chestnut orchards.
- Safe to approach?
- Completely harmless to humans. You can safely observe the adult moth resting on tree trunks or larvae inside fallen acorns. If handled, be extremely gentle as they are fragile. No medical action is needed if touched, though washing hands to remove wing scales is recommended.
Cydia splendana , the chestnut tortrix , is a moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found in Europe. It is also known as the acorn moth , but this can also refer to Blastobasis glandulella from North America, which belongs to the more primitive family Blastobasidae.
Photo: Donald Hobern, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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