Common Roller vs Perfoliate Alexanders

Ancylis badiana compared with Smyrnium perfoliatum

Key Differences

Common Roller is Least Concern while Perfoliate Alexanders is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Roller	Perfoliate Alexanders
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Apiales (Apiales)
Family	Tortricidae	Apiaceae
Genus	Ancylis	Smyrnium
Species	Ancylis badiana	Smyrnium perfoliatum

Conservation Status

Common Roller

LC — Least Concern

Perfoliate Alexanders

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Roller	Perfoliate Alexanders
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Roller

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Perfoliate Alexanders

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Europe (12 countries).

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.