Bucculatrix thoracella

Alternative names
Lime Tuft
Lime Bent-wing
Description

Wingspan 6 to 8 mm. A tiny but easily distinguished species, showing large brown patches on a yellow ground colour and a narrow brown streak extending into the cilia.

Identification difficulty

Adult Leafmine

Habitat

It is associated with Small-leaved Lime and sometimes Common Lime.

When to see it

The moths fly in June, and sometimes again in August in the south.

Life History

The larvae mine the leaves of its host trees at first, and then create small feeding windows.

UK Status

Fairly frequent. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common.

VC55 Status

It appears to be uncommon in Leicestershire and Rutland, where there are few records. L&R Moth Group status = D (rare or rarely recorded).

Reference
14.009 BF273

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Lime Bent-wing
Species group:
Moths
Kingdom:
Animalia
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Bucculatricidae
Records on NatureSpot:
20
First record:
12/05/2012 (Peacock, H A)
Last record:
11/11/2022 (Smith, Peter)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

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