37.098 BF554

Coleophora inulae

Wocke, [1876]

---

Wingspan 13-16 mm.

A scarce and very local species which has a small number of tiny colonies in the south of England, principally in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

The larva builds a 'pistol case' and feeds on ploughman's-spikenard (Inula conyzae) or common fleabane (Pulicaria dysenterica).

The adult moths are white with buff-coloured veins, giving rise to a streaky effect. They fly during June and July, but the species has a two-year lifecycle, appearing every other year.