ABH: 28.008
BF: 642a
Family: Oecophoridae
Subfamily: Oecophorinae
Taxon: Metalampra italica
Authority: Baldizzone, 1977
Vernacular: Italian Bark Moth
Account: An adventive species, which is spreading rapidly. On 17 August 2003, a worn specimen was found in a moth trap in a garden in Devon. The species had not previously been recorded outside Italy. Another specimen turned up in the same garden on 7 August 2004, and towards the end of July that year three specimens were found in and around a house at Welwyn, Hertfordshire, with one to a lighted window at Studham, Bedfordshire, on 3 July 2006 A similar species, M. cinnamomea, which occurs widely on the near continent and which is perhaps a more likely candidate to stray to the UK, has not occurred; neither species is prone to migration, and the origins of the British M. italica remain a mystery. Larva feeds within dead wood.
Wingspan: 13 — 14 mm
Surrey Flight Period: 31 May (2018) — 9 Sep (2023)
Foodplant:
Status: Migrant
UK BAP:
WCA:
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Verification Grade: 3 — Difficult to identify, an image may be required 🤔🤔
Further Information: https://www.ukmoths.org.uk/species/metalampra-italica/
* Based on adult records only.
Records: 47
Individuals: 27
Earliest Year: 2010
Latest Year: 2025