Status Morley’s Final Catalogue: Confined to heaths; far scarcer than in southern England, unnoted since 1890. Fritton (Barrett); Newmarket Heath.
Recent Status: A local heathland/coastal species that is absent from potentially suitable locations.
Life Style: A single brooded species that flies in mid-summer. The larvae feed from a web on Erica species before and after hibernation.
Identification: A relatively large Oecophorid. The moth has a pale forewing with a white costal stripe edged with a broader brown stripe. The rest of the wing is peppered with dark scales and two distinct spots. The patterning lines continue through the head and palps. The palps are very long, with long rough scaling and a terminal narrow erect segment. https://mothdissection.co.uk/species.php?Tx=Pleurota_bicostellaRecorded in 8 (14%) of 58 10k Squares. First Recorded in 1999. Last Recorded in 2023. |