Species Details

ABH: 41.002

BF: 873

Family: Blastobasidae

Taxon: Blastobasis adustella

=Blastobasis lignea

Authority: Walsingham, 1894

Vernacular: Common Masoner

Account: Common in gardens, hedgerows and yew woodland throughout much of the British Isles. Like all Blastobasis sp., a naturalised species which has become well established, but as a native of Madeira, how it reached Britain remains a mystery (MBGBI Vol 4 part 1) The adult, which is variable but generally easy to recognise, comes freely to light. The larva feeds on fallen leaves, fresh and decaying vegetable matter, refuse and detritus; there are a few records from Hampshire, from spinnings on flowerheads and in fruits collected in the field.

Update: Larval status update, December 2019.

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: 13 — 19 mm

Surrey Flight Period: 3 Jun (2005) — 23 Oct (2014)

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

Foodplant:

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

Status: Common

UK BAP:

WCA:

Click here to view the full geology map of Surrey.

Verification Grade: 2 — Care needed to identify, an image may be required 🤔
Further Information: https://www.ukmoths.org.uk/species/blastobasis-adustella/
Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 505

Individuals: 1753

Earliest Year: 1994

Latest Year: 2025

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