Hollyhock Seed Moth - Pexicopia malvella

Wingspan 17 to 20 mm. 

A rare species. The specimen should be retained and the County Recorder informed.

Where the larval foodplants occur.

The moth is on the wing from early June to mid-August.

The larvae feed inside the seeds of Marsh Mallow (Althaea officinalis) and Hollyhock (Althaea rosea) overwintering in a cocoon constructed within the larval workings.

Occurs locally in southern and eastern England, and is rare in South Wales. Old records from the Midlands, parts of Northern England and the Channel Islands indicate the species has undergone a range contraction which commenced in the early twentieth century. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as Nationally Scarce B.

Very rare in Leicestershire and Rutland.