Species Details

ABH: 63.026

BF: 1374a

Family: Crambidae

Subfamily: Pyraustinae

Taxon: Sclerocona acutellus

Authority: (Eversmann, 1842)

Vernacular: Reed Pearl

Account: Suspected rare immigrant, or perhaps accidentally imported, from central Europe. The first three national records, at Leckford, Hampshire on 8 August 1988, Virginia Water, Surrey on 13 June 1989 and Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire on 20 June 1995 were thought to refer to genuine migrants. Subsequent records, including three between 13 June and 5 July 1999 in a garden in Exeter in close proximity to a newly-thatched cottage, and probably all preceding records, are believed to have originated from reeds imported from central Europe for thatching cottages. However, in 2010 a thriving colony was discovered at Afton Marshes, IoW and has been recorded annually ever since; the origin of this population is unknown, nor indeed how long it may have been at this site - primary immigration would seem to be more than plausible. Wingspan 25-30 mm. Larva feeds on Common Reed.

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: 25 — 30 mm

Surrey Flight Period: 13 Jun (1989) — 13 Jun (1989)

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: Migrant/Adventive

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/sclerocona-acutellus/
Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 1

Individuals: 0

Earliest Year: 1989

Latest Year: 1989

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