Species Details

ABH: 4.036

BF: 72

Family: Nepticulidae

Subfamily: Nepticulinae

Taxon: Stigmella myrtillella

Authority: (Stainton, 1857)

Vernacular: Bilberry Dot

Account: Local in woodland, heathland and moorland throughout much of Britain, reported as favouring high ground. There are old records for Burley and Beaulieu in the south of the county and Woolmer Forest in the north, with evidence of occurrence in the Pamber Forest area more recently. Not recorded from the Isle of Wight to date. In July, and later in autumn, the larva mines the leaves of Bilberry (and away from our area, Bog Bilberry), forming a contorted gallery with a central line of frass, which then widens out to a false blotch. The adult has dark purplish wings with a whitish fascia, orange head and white eyecaps, but will generally need rearing or dissection to be accepted in this stage.

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:

Surrey Flight Period:

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

Foodplant: Vaccinium myrtillus (Bilberry).

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

Status: Local

UK BAP:

WCA:

Moths

Click here to view the full geology map of Surrey.

Verification Grade: 5 — Adults unidentifiable 😖 or pending grading 🧐

Further Information: https://www.ukmoths.org.uk/species/stigmella-myrtillella/

Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 9

Individuals: 0

Earliest Year: 2000

Latest Year: 2010