The descriptive text, below the map, is from the Cornish Red Data Book (2009). The map on this web page depicts the organisms distribution and shows the records made pre-2000 and those made since.
Range & Status
Throughout southern Britain but very localised.
Regional Distribution
Eight sites known, along the north coast, including Porth Joke and Glebe Cliff, Tintagel.
Habitat & Ecology
Associated with unimproved grasslands where management encourages good flowering and seed-set of Black Knapweed Centaurea nigra and other herbs, the larvae developing in the seed heads.
Threats
Heavy grazing, which leaves sward short, but also undergrazing which allows coarsening and scrub development.
Conservation
The Glebe Cliff site is owned by The National Trust.
I.J. Bennallick, S. Board, C.N. French, P.A. Gainey, C. Neil, R. Parslow, A. Spalding and P.E. Tompsett. eds. 2009. Red Data Book for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. 2nd Edition.Croceago Press.
The Cornish Red Data Book Project was led by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Federation for Biological Recorders (CISFBR). The full text and species accounts (minus the maps) are available on the CISFBR website.