Common Orache vs Common Roller

Atriplex patula compared with Ancylis badiana

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Orache	Common Roller
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Caryophyllales (Caryophyllales)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Amaranthaceae	Tortricidae
Genus	Atriplex	Ancylis
Species	Atriplex patula	Ancylis badiana

Conservation Status

Common Orache

LC — Least Concern

Common Roller

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Orache	Common Roller
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Orache

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Georgia), Europe (13 countries), North America (Canada, Mexico, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (Chile).

Common Roller

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Common Orache

<em>Atriplex patula</em> is an annual herb in the family Amaranthaceae, distributed across Europe, Asia, North America, Australia, and Chile. It typically colonizes disturbed habitats, coastal areas, salt marshes, roadsides, agricultural fields, and waste ground, tolerating saline soils that many other species cannot withstand. The species is halophytic, possessing physiological adaptations for salt tolerance, including salt-excreting glands on its leaves. Its range extends across Georgia in Asia, thirteen European countries, and introduced populations in North America, Australia, and South America. Orache produces small, inconspicuous flowers and characteristic mealy-textured leaves. It is sometimes used as a leafy vegetable in traditional cuisine across parts of its native range. The IUCN lists this species as Least Concern given its widespread occurrence and adaptability to multiple habitat types. Biological traits including average lifespan, body measurements, and detailed dietary ecology remain poorly documented in standardized databases for this weedy annual species. <em>Atriplex patula</em> plays a functional role in stabilizing disturbed soils and contributing to coastal and ruderal plant communities across its broad distribution.

Common Roller

<em>Ancylis badiana</em>, the common roller, is a small moth in the family Tortricidae, order Lepidoptera. It is distributed across northwestern Europe, with documented records from Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, typically inhabiting woodland margins, hedgerows, scrubland, and areas where its larval host plants are abundant. The species is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Tortricid moths in the genus Ancylis are commonly known as "rollers" or "leafrollers" because their larvae typically roll or fold leaves of host plants to create sheltered feeding structures. <em>Ancylis badiana</em> larvae feed on the foliage of various herbaceous plants, particularly species in the pea family (Fabaceae). Adults are small moths with intricately patterned wings that provide camouflage against bark and plant material. Adult moths are primarily nocturnal and are attracted to light, while larvae are cryptic within their leaf shelters. Biological traits such as lifespan, body measurements, and detailed diet host range remain poorly documented beyond general family-level characteristics. The species typically completes one to two generations per year in temperate European climates, overwintering as pupae. It is considered a minor component of invertebrate biodiversity in European lowland habitats.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden