The moth family Tortricidae is of great economical importance: the larvae of many representatives cause major economic damage in agriculture, horticulture and forestry on a wide variety of crops including pome and stone fruits, citrus fruits, grapes, ornamental crops, tea, coffee, cereals and cotton. In forestry, many species of both coniferous and deciduous trees are attacked by the pest species.

This PROJECT contains an interactive, illustrated key to both males and females of 189 of the most frequently encountered species, and also includes diagnostic characters for many related non-pest species. Illustrated descriptions of the adults, including genitalia characters, and brief descriptions of immature stages are provided, as well as information on their life-histories, host plants, distribution, parasitoids and female pheromones or male attractantia.

Many of the external character descriptions of European tortricid species were adopted from Bradley et al., 1973 , and Bradley et al., 1979. For several Japanese species of the subfamily Tortricinae, Yasuda, 1975b was used. The contents of the higher taxa cards concerning the majority of the genera was taken from Razowski, 1987a and Razowski, 1989; the contents of the higher taxa cards concerning subfamilies and tribus was taken from Horak and Brown, 1991.

References to literature concerning the female sex pheromones and male attractantia were taken from Arn, 1995-99.

[overview picture: Adult and larva of Archips podana ]