UKMoths Please note that the NBN Gateway map service has been terminated as of 1 April 2017.
As soon as a replacement map service is available, distribution maps will hopefully appear here again.
In the meantime, you can get some idea of distribution from the NBN Atlas website.
35.109 BF822
Scrobipalpa acuminatella
(Sircom, 1850)
Wingspan 10-14 mm.
Widely distributed across much of the British Isles, this species occupies rough and open ground where thistles abound.
The larvae mine the leaves of various thistles (Carduus and Cirsium), forming a pale, sometimes slightly inflated blotch.
Generally there are two generations, with adults on the wing in April to June and again in July to September.
- Larva: (description Ian F. Smith):
Foodplant: June-July and Sept.-Oct. in irregular brown or whitish leaf mine on Cirsium, Carduus and, possibly, Sonchus asper.
Intermediate instar
Length: 8 mm
Head: Shiny brown. Posterior strongly edged with pitchy black line, expanding into a black postero-lateral band which extends forward as a grey-black band to include the stemmatal area. Frons thinly outlined pitchy brown.
Prothoracic shield: Shiny transparent, tinted light brown. Black posterior edge of head clearly visible. Divided by thin paler medial line. Dorsally darker brown. Large pitchy black postero- lateral area.
Thoracic legs: Concolorous coxa with black basal horseshoe collar on inside. Femur black. Tibia and tarsus greyish brown.
Body: Olive-brown. Paler ventrally. Grey dorsally when the gut is full.
Spiracles: Small, black peritreme.
Pinacula: Black or dark grey, largest on segment A9.
Setae: Transparent colourless.
Anal plate: Shiny transparent concolorous, but if frass in A10, it shows black. Faint grey shading on cuticle strongest at posterior.
Prolegs: Base greenish white translucent with grey-black ring. Planta transparent whitish. Crochets dark grey.
Final instar
Length: 10 mm described.
Head: Black.
Prothoracic shield: Pitchy black. Divided by thin yellowish white medial line.
Thoracic legs: Concolorous coxa with black basal horseshoe collar on inside. Femur black. Tibia and tarsus greyish brown.
Body: Each segment has a bright red-pink anterior and yellowish posterior. Red-pink is less intense ventrally.
Spiracles: Small, black peritreme.
Pinacula: Black or dark grey, largest on segment A9.
Setae: Transparent colourless.
Anal plate: Blackish.
Prolegs: Light brown. Crochets dark grey.
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