Morley’s Final Catalogue: Not listed. The Nepticulids were not extensively studies and only 21 are listed.
Recent Status: Recorded across Suffolk but uncommon.
Life Style: The species is single brooded flying from April to June. The larvae mine leaves of Crataegus. They pupate on the ground in a reddish brown cocoon.
Identification: The moth has a deep golden brown with a purple sheen forewing, thorax and collar with a broad deep golden fascia followed by a purple and violet terminal quarter. The head tuft is orange. The face and scape are golden yellow. The moth can be identified by breeding out from a mine or by genitalia dissection. More Info The larva creates a gallery from an ovum on the underside of a leaf. The initial gallery is narrow and frass filled. If it does not start at the leaf edge it moves to it, where it follows around one or two lobes which after the initial narrow gallery broadens considerably. The frass is placed in a line on the leaf edge side of the broad gallery. More Info
Verification Grade Comment: Vacated mines may sometimes be unidentifiable
Determination by Genitalia Examination (gen. det.) Required
Mine: Either the leaf or a good photograph required
Recorded in 25 (43%) of 58 10k Squares. First Recorded in 1982. Last Recorded in 2023. Additional Stats
