Archips xylosteana

This Palearctic moth is widespread in most of Europe, in Asia (China, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Siberia, Turkey), and in northern Africa (Algeria).[2][3][4]

This moth species inhabit woodland and scrub in hilly and mountainous areas. [5][6]

Archips xylosteana is a medium-sized to large moth with a wingspan reaching 14–23 millimetres (0.55–0.91 in).[6] The females are usually slightly larger than the males. The basic color of the fore wings varies from yellow-brown or ocher to pinkish brown, mottled with dark reddish brown markings. Forewings are broad and roughly rectangular. Hind wings are light grayish brown. [4] The design of the wings may appear lightly asymmetric, because at rest one of the wing covers the other[4] and hides part of it. The caterpillar varies from whitish gray to bluish with greenish reflections and have a black head. [4] Meyrick describes it - Forewings with termen sinuate, vertical, costal fold from base to 3/5, irregular ; ochreous more or less fuscous-tinged, paler towards costa ; a transverse dorsal spot near base, central fascia with anterior edge sinuate, costal patch broadly connected with it near costa, a blotch from above tornus sometimes connected with costal patch, and an apical spot dark ferruginous-brown. Hindwings grey, apex sometimes yellowish-tinged. Larva whitish-grey or pale greenish ; head black ;plate of 2 black, anterior edge white.[7]

These moths fly from June to August in one generation.[4][6] They rest during the day in the foliage of trees and shrubs. Their activity begins at dusk. [6] They overwinter on tree trunks and thick boughs.

Caterpillars grow protected in a rolled leaf, perpendicularly to the midrib, from April to June. These larvae are polyphagous, feeding on various shrubs and deciduous trees, [4] mainly oak (Quercus), elm (Ulmus), Linden (Tilia), hazel (Corylus), maples (Acer), ash (Fraxinus, firs (Abies), brambles (Rubus), Honeysuckle (Lonicera) and St John's worts (Hypericum)). [5] They can also be found on various fruit trees (apple, pear, etc.) [8] and on some herbaceous plants.

• 
  Caterpillar
• 
  Moth, side view
• 
  Moth, female
• 
  Mounted specimen. Male

• Linnaeus, C. (1758): Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. 1-824. Holmiae (Laurentius Salvius).
• Robinson, G. S. & E. Schmidt Nielsen (1983): The Microlepidoptera described by Linnaeus and Clerck. — Systematic Entomology 8: 191-242.

• Lepiforum e.V.