Morley’s Final Catalogue: " Barham, Rev: W. Kirby, to whom I am indebted for specimens " of Antithesia gentianaenana, Hb. (Stephens, Illust. iv, 1834). Not noted here later till after 1890, when ' I once took a great number of the larvae in Dodnash Wood ' (Harwood); beaten at Newton Wood in Needham on 30 May 1933 and bred from teasel-heads in Monks-park wood 1936 (Mly).

Recent Status: Found across Suffolk.

Life Style: A single or double brooded species flying from May till September and coming to light. The larvae feed inside a head of Dipsacus fullonum eating the central pith. They hibernate fully fed and pupate in the larval habitation.

Identification: There are three similar dark brown and white Endothenia species, E. gentianaeana, E. marginana and E. oblongana, that can be separated as follows. The hindwings of E. marginana males are white with a narrow dark border. The hindwings of E. marginana females are dark bordered becoming white at the base. The hindwings of E. gentianaeana are uniformly dark. The hindwings of E. oblongana pale slightly towards the base. E. gentianaeana is the largest at 15 to 19 mm wingspan. E. oblongana is the smallest at 11 to 15 mm wingspan. Both E. gentianaena and E. marginana have white on the top of the thorax and E. oblongana has little if any white. E. gentianaeana has more elongate wings and this results in the white band being significantly wider. The marks at the apex of E. marginana are closer to the main dark area across the white band compared with E. gentianaeana. The white band of E. oblongana is more heavily shaded than in the other species. Where these distinctions cannot be measured or seen then genitalia dissection must be carried out to determine the species. The difference in the genitalia is slight. More Info

	Retained Specimen / Photograph will be Required.

Recorded in 33 (57%) of 58 10k Squares.
First Recorded in 1890.
Last Recorded in 2023.