Black Headed Birch Leafroller

Animal / parasitoid / endoparasitoid
larva of Actia pilipennis is endoparasitoid of larva of Acleris logiana

Animal / parasitoid / endoparasitoid
larva of Pseudoperichaeta nigrolineata is endoparasitoid of larva of Acleris logiana

Holarctic. Europe east across the southern USSR to Japan; widespread in the boreal forest of North America, south in the mountains in both the east and west.

A small (approx. 2.0 cm wingspan) moth with whitish or pale grey squared forewings and grey hindwings. Forewing markings variable, with dark grey or rust markings indicating the inverse costal triangle – usually reduced to dark spots on the costa and in particular the dark discal dash at the apex of the "triangle". A few small spots or dots of the same color elsewhere on the forewings, in particular in the basal area. There is a series of raised white scales that form an inverse arc across the forewings when forewings when at rest. The dirty white or pale grey forewings with the few dark markings on the forewing will help distinguish this little moth.

Likely occurs throughout the boreal forest, foothills and lower elevations of the mountains in AB, wherever birch is present.

Larvae are solitary leaf-rollers. The primary hosts are birches (Betula); also recorded from Viburnum and alder (Alnus). Adults in fall (late Aug. – early Oct.) and again in spring (mid Apr. – early June), apparently hibernating. Adults come to light.

Acleris logiana, the black-headed birch leaffolder moth or grey birch button, is a moth of the family Tortricidae. It was described by Carl Alexander Clerck in 1759. It is found in most of Europe, except Ireland, Portugal, most of the Balkan Peninsula and Ukraine. It is also found in North America, the Russian Far East, Korea and Japan.

The wingspan is 18–22 mm.

Adults are on wing from September to April after overwintering.

The larvae feed on Betula species. They feed between the spun leaves of their host plant.