Apples (''

Malus ''Malus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 30–55 species of small deciduous trees or shrubs in the family Rosaceae, including the domesticated orchard apple, crab apples, wild apples, and rainberries. The genus is native to the temperate zone ...

'' species) are used as food plants by the caterpillars of a number of Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths). These include: * Bucculatricidae **'' Bucculatrix bechsteinella'' **'' Bucculatrix pomifoliella'' *

Coleophoridae __NOTOC__ The Coleophoridae are a family of small moths, belonging to the huge superfamily Gelechioidea. Collectively known as case-bearers, casebearing moths or case moths, this family is represented on all continents, but the majority are foun ...

** Several ''

Coleophora ''Coleophora'' is a very large genus of moths of the family Coleophoridae. It contains some 1,350 described species. The genus is represented on all continents, but the majority are found in the Nearctic and Palaearctic regions. Many authors ...

'' case-bearers, such as: ***'' C. anatipennella'' – leaves – recorded on apple ('' M. pumila''), and possibly others ***'' C. cerasivorella'' ***'' C. coracipennella'' ***'' C. hemerobiella'' ***'' C. malivorella'' ***'' C. paripennella'' – recorded on apple (''M. pumila'') ***'' C. pruniella'' ***'' C. sacramenta'' – recorded on apple (''Malus pumila'') ***'' C. serratella'' ***'' C. spinella'' (apple-and-plum case-bearer) *

Geometridae The geometer moths are moths belonging to the family Geometridae of the insect order Lepidoptera, the moths and butterflies. Their scientific name derives from the Ancient Greek ''geo'' γεω (derivative form of or "the earth"), and ''metro ...

** ''

Agriopis marginaria The dotted border (''Agriopis marginaria'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1776. It is found throughout Europe, except the far north, and the Near East. The female of this ...

'' (dotted border) ** ''

Campaea margaritata ''Campaea margaritata'', commonly known in the UK as the light emerald, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1767 12th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. It is widely distributed throughout E ...

'' (light emerald) ** '' Chloroclystis rectangulata'' (green pug) ** '' Colotois pennaria'' (feathered thorn) ** ''

Ectropis crepuscularia The engrailed and small engrailed (''Ectropis crepuscularia'') are moths of the family Geometridae found from the British Isles through central and eastern Europe to the Russian Far East and Kazakhstan. The western Mediterranean and Asia Minor ...

'' (engrailed) ** '' Epirrita autumnata'' (autumnal moth) ** ''

Epirrita dilutata The November moth (''Epirrita dilutata'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775. It can be found in the Palearctic realm in western Europe from central Scandinavia ...

'' (November moth) ** '' Erannis defoliaria'' (mottled umber) ** '' Eupithecia exiguata'' (mottled pug) ** ''

Eupithecia pusillata The juniper pug or juniper looper (''Eupithecia pusillata'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775. It is found throughout the Palearctic and in the Nearctic. Su ...

'' (juniper pug) – Americas only ** ''

Eupithecia subfuscata The grey pug (''Eupithecia subfuscata'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found throughout the Palearctic region. It is also found in North America. Since it does not place any special demands on climatic conditions, special caterpill ...

'' (grey pug) ** ''

Gymnoscelis rufifasciata The double-striped pug (''Gymnoscelis rufifasciata'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is a widespread and common species, being found throughout the Palearctic region, including the Near East and North Africa. This is a variable specie ...

'' (double-striped pug) ** ''

Hemithea aestivaria The common emerald (''Hemithea aestivaria'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species is found throughout the Nearctic and Palearctic regions and the Near East. It is mostly commonly found in the southern half of the British Isles. It w ...

'' (common emerald) ** ''

Odontopera bidentata The scalloped hazel (''Odontopera bidentata'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Carl Alexander Clerck in 1759. Distribution It is a common species of northern and central Europe including the British Is ...

'' (scalloped hazel) ** ''

Operophtera brumata :''In North America, "winter moth" usually denotes the invasive species ''Operophtera brumata'', but may also mean refer to a native species, '' Erannis tiliaria'' (linden looper) or '' Operophtera bruceata'' (bruce spanworm).'' The winter moth ( ...

'' (winter moth) ** '' Opisthograptis luteolata'' (brimstone moth) ** '' Peribatodes rhomboidaria'' (willow beauty) – leaves ** ''

Selenia tetralunaria The purple thorn (''Selenia tetralunaria'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Johann Siegfried Hufnagel in 1767. It is a species of northern and central Europe. It has a scattered distribution in Britain b ...

'' (purple thorn) *

Hepialidae The Hepialidae are a family of insects in the lepidopteran order. Moths of this family are often referred to as swift moths or ghost moths. Taxonomy and systematics The Hepialidae constitute by far the most diverse group of the infraorder Exop ...

** ''

Phymatopus behrensii ''Phymatopus behrensii'' is a species of moth belonging to the family Hepialidae. It was described by Stretch in 1872, and is known from the United States, including California and Washington. The wingspan is about 43 mm. Recorded food pla ...

'' *

Lymantriidae The Lymantriinae (formerly called the Lymantriidae) are a subfamily of moths of the family Erebidae. The taxon was erected by George Hampson in 1893. Many of its component species are referred to as "tussock moths" of one sort or another. The cat ...

** '' Euproctis chrysorrhoea'' (brown-tail) ** '' Euproctis similis'' (yellow-tail) ** ''

Lymantria dispar ''Lymantria dispar'', also known as the gypsy moth or the spongy moth, is a species of moth in the family Erebidae. ''Lymantria dispar'' is subdivided into several subspecies, with subspecies such as ''L. d. dispar'' and ''L. d. japonica'' be ...

'' (gypsy moth) * Noctuidae ** '' Acronicta psi'' (grey dagger) ** ''

Acronicta tridens The dark dagger (''Acronicta tridens'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775. It is distributed throughout Europe (from southern Fennoscandia to the Balkans and Ita ...

'' (dark dagger) ** ''

Agrotis segetum ''Agrotis segetum'', sometimes known as the turnip moth, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775. It is a common European species and it is found in Africa and across ...

'' (turnip moth) ** '' Amphipyra pyramidea'' (copper underwing) ** '' Cosmia trapezina'' (dun-bar) ** '' Eupsilia transversa'' (satellite) ** '' Mamestra brassicae'' (cabbage moth) ** ''

Naenia typica The Gothic (''Naenia typica'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. It is distributed in temperate Eurasia, in the Palearctic realm, including Europ ...

'' (gothic) ** ''

Orthosia cerasi The common Quaker (''Orthosia cerasi'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775. Some authors prefer the synonym ''Orthosia stabilis'' ( Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775). It is distributed througho ...

'' (common Quaker) ** '' Orthosia gothica'' (Hebrew character) ** '' Phlogophora meticulosa'' (angle shades) ** ''

Xestia c-nigrum The setaceous Hebrew character (''Xestia c-nigrum'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. It is found in the Palearctic realm. It is a common speci ...

'' (setaceous Hebrew character) *

Nolidae Nolidae is a family of moths with about 1,700 described species worldwide. They are mostly small with dull coloration, the main distinguishing feature being a silk cocoon with a vertical exit slit. The group is sometimes known as tuft moths, aft ...

** '' Nola cucullatella'' (short-cloaked moth) *

Notodontidae Notodontidae is a family of moths with approximately 3,800 known species. The family was described by James Francis Stephens in 1829. Moths of this family are found in all parts of the world, but they are most concentrated in tropical areas, espe ...

** '' Ptilodon capucina'' (coxcomb prominent) *

Nymphalidae The Nymphalidae are the largest family of butterflies, with more than 6,000 species distributed throughout most of the world. Belonging to the superfamily Papilionoidea, they are usually medium-sized to large butterflies. Most species have a red ...

** ''

Limenitis arthemis ''Limenitis arthemis,'' the red-spotted purple or white admiral, is a North American butterfly species in the cosmopolitan genus ''Limenitis''. It has been studied for its evolution of mimicry, and for the several stable hybrid wing patterns wi ...

'' (American white admiral/red-spotted purple) – recorded on apple (''Malus pumila'') *

Saturniidae Saturniidae, commonly known as saturniids, is a family of Lepidoptera with an estimated 2,300 described species. The family contains some of the largest species of moths in the world. Notable members include the emperor moths, royal moths, and gi ...

** ''

Pavonia pavonia ''Saturnia pavonia'', the small emperor moth, is a moth of the family Saturniidae. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. Sometimes, the incorrect genus name ''Pavonia'' is still used for this ...

'' (emperor moth) *

Sphingidae The Sphingidae are a family of moths (Lepidoptera) called sphinx moths, also colloquially known as hawk moths, with many of their caterpillars known as “hornworms”; it includes about 1,450 species. It is best represented in the tropics, but ...

** '' Laothoe populi'' (poplar hawk-moth) ** '' Smerinthus jamaicensis'' (twin-spotted sphinx) – recorded on European wild apple (''M. sylvestris'') *

Tortricidae The Tortricidae are a family of moths, commonly known as tortrix moths or leafroller moths, in the order Lepidoptera. This large family has over 11,000 species described, and is the sole member of the superfamily Tortricoidea, although the genus ...

** '' Enarmonia formosana'' (cherrybark tortrix) – recorded on apple bark ** ''

Epiphyas postvittana The light brown apple moth (''Epiphyas postvittana'') (often abbreviated to LBAM) is a leafroller moth belonging to the lepidopteran family Tortricidae. Identification Adult moths Light brown apple moth adults are variable in colour and may b ...

'' (light brown apple moth) *

Yponomeutidae : ''Certain members of the unrelated snout moths (Pyralidae) are also known as "ermine moths." Spilosoma lubricipeda is an unrelated moth with the common name "white ermine."'' The family Yponomeutidae are known as the ermine moths, with several ...

** '' Yponomeuta malinellus'' (apple ermine) ** '' Argyresthia curvella'' (apple blossom tineid) – only known from apple blossoms and perhaps rotting apple wood ** ''

Scythropia crataegella ''Scythropia crataegella'', the hawthorn moth, is a species of moth in the family Plutellidae from western Eurasia. It is usually placed in a small subfamily Scythropiinae, which is sometimes included in the Yponomeutinae of the Yponomeutidae ...

'' (hawthorn moth) – recorded on European wild apple (''M. sylvestris'')

References

{{apples

Malus