Cornish Biodiversity Network - Supporting Wildlife Recording
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
Previously named Paracystola , for some years this species was found only in south-west Britain, on the south Devon coast (Jacobs 1948-49), in Somerset and in West Cornwall, where it was first discovered in 1985 (Riley, 1985), but has recently spread to most of southern England. As an alien, it is perhaps surprising that it has been given RDB status by Parsons (1993).
Regional Distribution
Recorded from west Cornwall from Rosewarne, St. Ives 1989 (Agassiz, 1991) where it has been found regularly, Perranporth in 1990 (Agassiz, Heckford & Langmaid, 1993) and Redruth in 1992. It has since been recorded throughout Cornwall and is common in some areas.
Habitat & Ecology
Feeds in its native Australia on dead Eucalyptus leaves. In Britain larvae have been found feeding in dry London Plane leaves (Emmet & Langmaid, 2002) - London Plane is rare in Cornwall, where it has been planted in a few occasions (French, et al. , 1999). In Cornwall, this moth probably feeds on sclerotic leaf litter (Bradley, 1998) and on dead Chamaecyparis leaves (Heckford, pers. comm.). It is probably double-brooded, flying in June and August, and sometimes in October (Allen, 1984).
Threats
Possible destruction of foodplant.
Conservation
None.
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.