Common Yellow Conch vs Pine-cone Piercer

Agapeta hamana compared with Cydia conicolana

Key Differences

• Common Yellow Conch is Least Concern while Pine-cone Piercer is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Yellow Conch	Pine-cone Piercer
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order same	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family same	Tortricidae	Tortricidae
Genus	Agapeta	Cydia
Species	Agapeta hamana	Cydia conicolana

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Yellow Conch and Pine-cone Piercer share a common ancestor at the Family level: Tortricidae.

Conservation Status

Common Yellow Conch

LC — Least Concern

Pine-cone Piercer

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Yellow Conch	Pine-cone Piercer
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Yellow Conch

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Pine-cone Piercer

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (7 countries).

Common Yellow Conch

<em>Agapeta hamana</em>, the common yellow conch moth, is a small moth in the family Tortricidae. It is widely distributed across Europe and central Asia, ranging from Britain and Scandinavia eastward through much of the Palearctic region. The species inhabits dry grasslands, heathlands, chalk downlands, and scrubby habitats where its larval host plants are found. Adult moths display distinctive pale yellow to golden-yellow forewings with irregular brown or reddish-brown markings near the wingtip, forming a pattern that resembles the shell of a conch, lending the species its common name. The wingspan typically measures around 15–22 mm. Biological traits such as average adult lifespan, precise body weight, and detailed population data remain poorly documented in consolidated scientific literature. Larvae feed internally on the roots of thistles and knapweeds, particularly <em>Centaurea</em> and <em>Cirsium</em> species. Adults fly from June to August and are frequently attracted to light. <em>Agapeta hamana</em> has been investigated as a potential biological control agent for invasive knapweed species in North America, where it has been introduced experimentally. The species is assessed as Least Concern given its broad distribution and stable habitat associations.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇸🇪 Sweden