About Aethes rubigana (Treitschke, 1830)
Aethes rubigana, commonly known as the burdock conch, is a species of moth in the family Tortricidae. It was first described by Treitschke in 1830. This moth is found across most of Europe, with the exception of the Iberian Peninsula and parts of the Balkan Peninsula. Outside of Europe, it can be found in Beijing, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, and Ningxia in China, as well as in Japan and Russia. The wingspan of Aethes rubigana measures 15–19 millimetres, which equals 0.59–0.75 inches. The forewings have a moderately arched costa, and are pale ochreous in colour. They feature several faint, shining whitish striae, plus a dark brown spot along the base of the costa. A narrow dark brown antemedian fascia is present; it is angled above the middle, interrupted below the angle, and abruptly dilated on the dorsum. The subterminal fascia is marked by dark brown spots on the costa and dorsum, with a very faint spot between these two spots. The hindwings are a rather dark grey. In western Europe, adult moths are active between late June and August. The larvae feed on the seedheads of Arctium species, including Arctium lappa, and possibly Arctium minus. Fully grown larvae overwinter starting in October inside a cocoon located on the ground, or occasionally inside the host seedhead. Pupation occurs inside this same cocoon.
