Common Roller vs Pale mottled willow moth

Ancylis badiana compared with Caradrina clavipalpis

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Roller	Pale mottled willow moth
Kingdom same	Animalia (животные)	Animalia (животные)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (членистоногие)	Arthropoda (членистоногие)
Class same	Insecta (насекомые)	Insecta (насекомые)
Order same	Lepidoptera (чешуекрылые)	Lepidoptera (чешуекрылые)
Family	Tortricidae	Noctuidae
Genus	Ancylis	Caradrina
Species	Ancylis badiana	Caradrina clavipalpis

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Roller and Pale mottled willow moth share a common ancestor at the Order level: Lepidoptera. (чешуекрылые)

Conservation Status

Common Roller

LC — Least Concern

Pale mottled willow moth

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Roller	Pale mottled willow moth
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.

Pale mottled willow moth

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Algeria, Cabo Verde), Europe (4 countries), and North America (United States).

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