698 Agonopterix kaekeritziana
(Linnaeus, 1767)
Wingspan 19-23 mm.A fairly uniformly-coloured species, with two or four darker dots on the forewing. The adult can be distinguished from A. pallorella and A. bipunctosa by the rusty orange marks on its wings, though these may be minimal on worn specimens. Also, it lacks the pitchy black edge at the base of the costa found on A. pallorella.
Well distributed over most of the British Isles, and fairly common throughout, it is rare at light so is probably under-recorded. The adults are on the wing from July to September. It is most easily obtained by rearing the larvae on knapweeds (Centaurea), or netting it while nectaring at flowers after dark.
The larvae feed in spun or rolled leaves of knapweed (Centaurea spp.). Larvae can be confused with the polyphage Celypha lacunana and with A. bipunctosa (see detail below).
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