Food Plant: Silene nutans (Nottingham catchfly)

Mine: September-July

Notes: Found on shingle beaches and also chalk cliffs on the Kent coast. The eggs are laid on the plant in August-September and the larva feeds in the autumn and overwinters. Heckford & Beavan (2022) showed that this initial pre-hibernation larva feeds on the leaves of Silene nutans and that the initial case is not made from seed husks or seeds, contrary to some publications. The pre-hibernation case shown is 3mm long. The final case is about 12mm long and many may be found on a single plant. This case has distinctive longitudinal stripes.

Data: 09.ix.2021, Dover, East Kent, VC15

Image:© SD Beavan & RJ Heckford