Recent Status: The moth can be found in open locations where Teucrium scorodonia, Wood Sage grows.
Life Style: The moth is single brooded flying in June, July and August and comes to light. The larvae have a complex feeding pattern and hibernate. They pupate on the foodplant.
Identification: The moth is an ornate plume moth with glossy dark brown wings marked with white. The larvae feed on the flower parts but not petals, sealing them off with silk and moving between flowers. The flowers die but stay attached to the plant and the larvae hibernate there. In spring they move to a young shoot and feed down into the stem. Frass in the centre of a shoot can indicate the presence of the larva. They then feed externally in that shoot eating holes out of the new leaves. Later they move down the stem and cut a piece out of it causing it to wilt then feeding on the wilted leaves. They move between stems to carry out this wilting damage. They pupate on the stem of the foodplant. More Info
Recorded in 18 (31%) of 58 10k Squares. First Recorded in 1934. Last Recorded in 2020. Additional Stats
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