35.022 Dichomeris marginella (Fabricius, 1781)
Dichomeris juniperella <<Dichomeris marginella>> Dichomeris ustalella
Status and Distribution
Local, occasionally locally common in central, eastern and southern England; very local in Wales, a few parts of northern England and the Channel Islands. In Ireland, only recorded once from The Burren in western Ireland and apparently absent from Scotland and much of south west England.
National Status: Local
Bradley & Fletcher no: 862
Photographer: © V Proklov
Location: Surrey
Provisional map
NHMSYS0000502154
Foodplant and Larval Feeding Signs
Juniperus communis (common juniper), see plant distribution, and garden species and cultivars, including Juniperus squamata 'blue carpet'. Found once on Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (Lawson's cypress).
Mines a needle in the autumn, overwintering in the mine. In the spring spins an extensive, dense silk web amongst the needles which may occasionally contain more than one larva.
Habitat
Chalk and limestone areas where Juniper occurs, and occasionally in gardens where suitable cultivars occur.
Finding the Moth
Larva: best found by looking for the distinctive dense silk web in the spring.
Adult: can be beaten from the foodplant and comes readily to light
Similar Species
A distinctive species with the white costal and dorsal stripes.
January, February, March, April, May, June, September, October, November, December
June, July, August
Single brooded from early June to late August. Found once on 24th April 1993 and 30th September 1998.