Species Details

ABH: 6.002

BF: 159

Family: Heliozelidae

Taxon: Antispila petryi

=Antispila treitschkiella sensu. auctt.

Authority: Martini, 1898

Vernacular: Dogwood Cutter

Account: Local in woodland, and on downland and scrubland throughout southern England, north to Yorkshire May be separated from the other Cornus feeding Antispila A. metallella by its smaller size, darker and less coppery ground colour, the shape of the pre-apical spot, the colour pattern of the terminal cilia and the paler and less purple hindwings (MBGBI Vol 1). Larva mines leaves of Dogwood, subsequently living within a movable case, and over-wintering as a pupa. The mines are described in the following link:
leafmines.co.uk
.
Van Nieukerken et al (Nota Lepidopterologica 41, 2018) documented that the Cornus feeding Antispila species was in fact A. petryi (not previously on the British List) and not A. treitschkiella as previously assigned; therefore all historic records of A. treitschkiella have now been reassigned to petryi. True Antispila treitschkiella has only been found in the UK in London (2016). It feeds on Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas) and has two generations a year.

The forewing costal spot is usually triangular in treitschkiella, whereas it is trapezoid in petryi, but the two are best distinguished by male genitalia, larva and hostplant.

Leaf-mines can be found in August to October, the larva eating out a short gallery leading to a blotch, then cutting an oval case.

Link to article on the discovery of A. treitschkiella in Britain

Reference:van Nieukerken, Lees, Doorenweerd, Koster, Bryner, Schreurs, Martijn, Timmermans, Sattler (2018), Two European Cornus L. feeding leafmining moths, Antispila petryi Martini, 1899, sp. rev. and A. treitschkiella (Fischer von Raslerstamm, 1843) (Lepidoptera, Heliozelidae): an unjustified synonymy and overlooked range expansion, Nota Lepi. 41(1) 2018: 398.

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: 6 mm

Surrey Flight Period: 13 Jun (2010) — 4 Jul (2005)

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

Foodplant: Cornus sp.

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

Status: Local

UK BAP:

WCA:

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/antispila-petryi/
Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 50

Individuals: 2

Earliest Year: 1998

Latest Year: 2025

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