Square-spot Rustic vs Codling Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Square-spot Rustic Codling Moth
Scientific Name Xestia xanthographa Cydia pomonella
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Noctuidae Tortricidae
Size 32-38 mm wingspan 14-22 mm wingspan
Habitat Gardens Orchards
Diet Root Feeders Fruit Feeders
Regions Europe Worldwide (cosmopolitan)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Square-spot Rustic

An extremely common autumn-flying moth with a diagnostic square stigma on the forewing. One of the most abundant moths in British gardens. Larvae feed on grasses.

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Did You Know?

Often the single most abundant moth species in garden moth traps during September.

Codling Moth

A small grey-brown moth whose larvae are the proverbial worm in the apple. It is the most economically important pest of apples worldwide.

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Did You Know?

It was one of the first insects to develop resistance to DDT in the 1940s.