Status Morley’s Final Catalogue: In old comb in bee-hives at Great Glemham (Bloomfield); Burv (Skepper); Ipswich in 1933 (Bp). It destroyed honeycombs at Thetford (Barrett) and Tuddenham in July 1903 (Sparke). Never seen in Suffolk till late July 1935, when it flew to light and at dusk in Monks Soham; Benacre Broad (Mly).
Recent Status: Recorded across Suffolk but not common.
Life Style: The moth is single brooded with a long flight period. It is night flying and comes to light. The larvae feed primarily on wax combs preferring old combs but will invade honey-bee combs. They feed from silken galleries. The larvae overwinter.
Identification: The moth has a heavy build and is a uniform glossy dark grey with an orange front of the head. The heavy build makes the head look small. The palps are short and orange and the neck is grey. There are a number of moths similarly coloured however all of them have the entire head and neck orange. Most are smaller and hold their wings in a different manner. The most similar is Agnoea flavifrontella but this species also has dark palps.Recorded in 25 (43%) of 58 10k Squares. First Recorded in 1903. Last Recorded in 2024. Additional Stats |