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
Widespread across Europe to Russia, including the Channel islands (Heath & Emmet, 1985) but known in Britain only from Cornwall. There are inconclusive records from other localities (Smith, 1983). Specific status uncertain, it may be just a bisexual form of the widespread Luffia ferchaultella .
Regional Distribution
Found only near Marazion (Smith, 1983), where it is confined to an area about 1 km
long, on St. Michael' s Mount, where there is an extensive population, and also on rocks in between which are cut off by the tide. Possibly also at Kynance and Polzeath, where similar cases have been found but not reared.
Habitat & Ecology
Cornish records come from lichen-covered walls and rocks. The larvae feed on the
following lichens: Parmelia glabratula (Lamy) Nyl., Ochrolechia parella (L.) Massal. and Caloplaca aurantia (Pers.) Hellbom.
Threats
Known to be parasitized by Ichneumonidae (Smith, 1983).
Conservation
Prevent the disturbance of a sample of inhabited lichen-covered walls and rocks.
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.