Morley’s Final Catalogue: A very frequent heath kind. Observed with us at only Newmarket by Mr. Bond (Fenland); bred from Sutton in 1933-5 (Whit).
Recent Status: There are records for Suffolk.
Life Style: A single brooded species that flies at dusk and night and comes to light. It can be found in June and July but can also occur during May and August. The larvae feed on leaves of Calluna and Erica. They hibernate and pupate in the year following oviposition.
Identification: 11 to 14.5 mm wingspan it has annulate antennae and a strong scale tuft on the scape. The wings are a greyish ochre with white stripes. The striping is similar but stronger than for C. albicosta. There are stripes on the costa, the dorsum and the termen. There is a stripe from the disc that turns to run along the termen towards the apex. There is a stripe along the fold that does not reach the tornus. The apex itself is free of striping. They can be collected by sweeping over the foodplants. If necessary the identity can be confirmed by genitalia dissection. The larvae are grazers. Their feeding is detailed and imaged in The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland. They feed inside the convolute of a leaf in their early stages creating a case from their egg, silk and frass. After leaving this first leaf they build a black shiny case with silk and graze on leaves and flowers. It has a bivalve anal opening and ventral keel. The first case remains on the dorsal surface and the oral opening is set at 25 degrees in the final case. More Info
Determination by Genitalia Examination (gen. det.) Required
Recorded in 5 (9%) of 58 10k Squares. First Recorded in 1933. Last Recorded in 2023. Additional Stats