Morley’s Final Catalogue: Much scarcer than in western or southern England; among ash. Copdock, Bentley Woods, Ipswich, Leiston, &c. The var.rustica, Haw., was found in Ipswich during August 1895.
Recent Status: The comment by Morley is for Prays fraxinella, however the var. rustica is Prays ruficeps. The current distribution of this species is uncertain as it was only separated from Prays fraxinella by DNA barcoding in 2013.
Life Style: The moth is double brooded and recorded from May to September. The larvae feed on Fraxinus and feed in a similar manner to Prays fraxinella, initially creating a gallery mine from the mid-vein and then in the twig, bud and young shoot.
Identification: The moth is a similar size to P. fraxinella but has a uniformly dark grey fuscous forewing. The head and collar are a contrasting orange brown. The melanic form of P. fraxinella has discernible markings in line with the typical form of the moth. Recorded in 19 (33%) of 58 10k Squares. First Recorded in 2013. Last Recorded in 2023. |