35.025 Dichomeris alacella (Zeller, 1839)
Dichomeris derasella <<Dichomeris alacella>> Acompsia cinerella
Status and Distribution
Formerly scarce with indications of a general increase in distribution and numbers reported during the first quarter of the 21st century. Occurs locally in southern and eastern England from Somerset to Norfolk, south-east Wales and the Channel Islands. There are single old records from Warwickshire and Yorkshire; the latter may require confirmation. Absent from much of south-west England, most of Wales and all of Scotland, Northen Ireland and Ireland.
National Status: Nationally Scarce B
Bradley & Fletcher no: 851
Photographer: © P Kitchener
Location: Dunwich, Suffolk
Provisional map
NBNSYS0100002796
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Foodplant and Larval Feeding Signs
No reference to the larva having been found in Britain has, so far, been located. In the Gelechiidae of North West Europe (Gregersen & Karsholt, 2022) 19th century reports advise the larva feeds on mosses on tree trunks and fences in deciduous forests and was bred from dead apple branches collected in winter. More recently, a larva was found in Holland 'feeding below the lichen Parmotrema perlatum growing on a thick branch of Quercus (Muus in litt.)'.
Habitat
Woodland, with a suggestion it is associated with ancient broad-leaved woodland.
Finding the Moth
Larva: feeding signs might be found on lichens on the trunks of mature broad-leaved trees in old woodland or on the trunks of long-established fruit trees.
Adult: rests on tree-trunks by day and comes to light and sugar by night.
Similar Species
Superficially similar to the two Neofriseria species but can be readily distinguished by the pale-tipped brownish-black labial palps and the forewings which are more pointed and have obvious pale creamy-white patches beyond each of the three prominent black stigmata.
June
July, August
Single brooded, flying in July and August. There is a single, confirmed (by photo), record of one to light in Gloucestershire on 7th September 2023.