Veränderliche Herbsteule vs Apfelwickler

Agrochola lychnidis compared with Cydia pomonella

Key Differences

• Veränderliche Herbsteule is Near Threatened while Apfelwickler is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Veränderliche Herbsteule	Apfelwickler
Kingdom same	Animalia (Tier)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Gliederfüßer)	Arthropoda (Gliederfüßer)
Class same	Insecta (Insekten)	Insecta (Insekten)
Order same	Lepidoptera (Schmetterlinge)	Lepidoptera (Schmetterlinge)
Family	Noctuidae	Tortricidae
Genus	Agrochola	Cydia
Species	Agrochola lychnidis	Cydia pomonella

Evolutionary Relationship

Veränderliche Herbsteule and Apfelwickler share a common ancestor at the Order level: Lepidoptera. (Schmetterlinge)

Conservation Status

Veränderliche Herbsteule

NT — Near Threatened

Apfelwickler

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Veränderliche Herbsteule	Apfelwickler
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Veränderliche Herbsteule

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Apfelwickler

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa), Europe (6 countries), and North America (Canada, United States).

Veränderliche Herbsteule

The Beaded chestnut (Agrochola lychnidis) is a species in the genus Agrochola. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Apfelwickler

The Codling Moth (Cydia pomonella) is a lepidopteran pest in the family Tortricidae, recognised globally as one of the most economically damaging insects affecting apple, pear, and walnut orchards. Adult moths have a wingspan of approximately 15–22 millimetres, with forewings patterned in grey and bronze, featuring a distinctive dark ocellate marking at the wing tip. Females lay eggs singly on fruit or foliage; hatching larvae bore directly into developing fruit, feeding on seeds and the core, creating characteristic brown frass-filled tunnels. By the time infestation is visible externally, significant damage to the crop has already occurred. Originally native to Eurasia, Cydia pomonella has established itself on every continent where pome fruits are cultivated, including North America, South America, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, facilitated by trade in infested plant material. Management relies on integrated approaches combining pheromone-based mating disruption, timed insecticide applications, kaolin clay barriers, and biological control using entomopathogenic nematodes and the granulovirus CpGV. Resistance to organophosphate and pyrethroid insecticides has developed in some populations, complicating conventional chemical management. The species undergoes 1–3 generations per year depending on climate. Despite its pest status, Cydia pomonella is not conservation-evaluated.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

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