Snowy-shouldered Acleris

Acleris nivisellana

April 22, 2015

A new tortricid for the yard - this would be number 12. "Nivis" is Latin for snow - hence the common name. While "snow" is a more aesthetic description of the white in the moth, I'd wager the coloration and patterning actually serve to mimic a bird dropping, a cryptic defense employed by many adult moths and larvae. A bird doing a quick scan for eats could mistake this for something one of them already ate - and disposed of - and move on.

 "Poop-shouldered Acleris", though, probably isn't as catchy. Or is it? 

The caterpillars, called Apple Leaf Twisters feed on a variety of plants in the rose family. They eat the leaves between the veins, skeletonizing them.