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 anal opening of the 1.5mm pre-hiberation case is shown. The final case is about 12mm long and many may be found on a single plant. This case has distinctive longitudinal stripes.

National Status: pRDB1

Bradley No: 551

Data: 26.v.2005, Kent, VC 15, Jon Clifton

Image:© Jon Clifton

References:
Heckford RJ, Beavan SD, (2022) - Coleophora galbulipennella Zeller, 1838 (Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae): observations on the larval stage in September 2021 found at Dover, Kent, England, Entomologist’s Gazette 73: 33–38