Species Details

ABH: 1.005

BF: 5

Family: Micropterigidae

Taxon: Micropterix calthella

Authority: (Linnaeus, 1761)

Vernacular: Plain Pollen-moth

Account: Common in damp woodland, woodland rides and woodland clearings throughout Britain and Ireland, often swarming on flowers of a wide range of herbaceous plants, such as buttercup, sedges and dog's mercury, feeding on the pollen Adults have metallic bronze forewings with purple blotch at base, and orange head tufts. Larva feeds on plant detritus and also, perhaps, various liverworts.

Accounts provided by and used with the kind permission of Mike Wall, Hampshire County Moth Recorder. These will in due course be gradually replaced with species accounts with a Surrey context.

Wingspan: 7 — 10 mm

Surrey Flight Period: 22 Apr (2007) — 9 Jun (2008)

The flight period of overwintering adults are not given. See the flight chart below the distribution map.

Foodplant:

Foodplant accounts are from the HOSTS database — Natural History Museum, London, UK. (CC0).

Status: Common

UK BAP:

WCA:

Click here to view the full geology map of Surrey.

Verification Grade: 2 — Care needed to identify 🤔
Further Information: https://www.ukmoths.org.uk/species/micropterix-calthella/
Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 50

Individuals: 5

Earliest Year: 2000

Latest Year: 2023

« Previous Random 🎲 Next »