Species Details

ABH: 63.015

BF: 1371

Family: Crambidae

Subfamily: Pyraustinae

Taxon: Sitochroa verticalis

Authority: (Linnaeus, 1758)

Vernacular: Lesser Pearl

Account: Local in farmland and rough grassland throughout much of southern England, also appearing as a migrant from mainland Europe in some years, reinforcing the native population The main confusion species is European Corn Borer Ostrinia nubilalis, from which distinguished by the strongly and characteristically marked underside. Larva feeds on various herbaceous plants, including Thistle, Goosefoot, Nettle, Knapweed, Cornflower and Violet.

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: 30 — 34 mm

Surrey Flight Period: 5 Jun (2020) — 31 Jul (2005)

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

Foodplant: Cirsium arvense (Creeping Thistle), Teucrium 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: 1 — Relatively easily identified 👌

Further Information: https://www.ukmoths.org.uk/species/sitochroa-verticalis/

Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 19

Individuals: 0

Earliest Year: 1995

Latest Year: 2020

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