Species Details

ABH: 15.003

BF: 281

Family: Gracillariidae

Subfamily: Gracillariinae

Taxon: Caloptilia populetorum

Authority: (Zeller, 1839)

Vernacular: Black-dot Stilt

Account: Local on moorland and heathland, and in open woodland. Widespread, with a discontinuous distribution which may be due to under-recording; found in southern Britain from Kent to Glamorgan and Herefordshire, in Cumbria and in western and northern Scotland; rare in Ireland, being recorded only from Cos Wicklow, Clare and Galway. First recorded in Hampshire at Farnborough in 1995, despite its presence being mapped in vice-counties 10 and 11 in MBGBI Vol 2 (1985), and still rarely encountered. Not recorded from the Isle of Wight to date. Wingspan 11-14 mm. Similar to C. falconipennella, which lacks the dark spots on the costa and fold and has the terminal cilia concolorous with the wing and the cilial lines distinct (MBGBI Vol 2). Larva mines and folds leaves of Birch, subsequently living within a leaf-fold.

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: 11 — 14 mm

Surrey Flight Period: 9 Mar (2000) — 15 Oct (1999)

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

Foodplant: Betula pendula (Silver Birch), Betula sp. (a birch).

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

Status: Local

UK BAP:

WCA:

Moths

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Moths

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Further Information: https://www.ukmoths.org.uk/species/caloptilia-populetorum/

Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 42

Individuals: 12

Earliest Year: 1999

Latest Year: 2025