Philedonides lunana

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Philedonides lunana, known as the heath tortrix or Walker’s Lanark tortrix, is a small moth in the Tortricidae family. It was first described by Carl Peter Thunberg in 1784 and lives across most of Europe and parts of the Near East. The species shows clear sexual differences and has a wingspan of about 12–16 mm. Adults are active from March to May: males fly on calm, sunny days at sunrise, midday, and in the evening, while females sit on top of vegetation to mate. At other times, the moths hide among dead leaves.

Eggs are laid in March and April, in small batches on the leaves of many heathland and moorland plants, including bearberry, heather, silverweed, mugwort, scabious, thistles, wild carrot, ash, mint, sea campion, and various grasses and shrubs. The larvae feed by spinning or folding leaves and flowers in May and June. Pupation occurs from June to March, in spun leaves or in ground debris.

The heath tortrix is found across much of Europe, from Ireland to Russia, with certain gaps such as the Balkans, France, and Iberia. It has also been found in the Near East.