Gelechiidae

35.086 Scarce Vetch Moth Athrips tetrapunctella (Thunberg, 1794)

pRDB2

Similar species:

Forewing: 4.5 to 5mm

Habitats: Scotland: Low altitude flowery grassland or grassy heathland on semi-sheltered and sunny slopes. Eastern England: Non acidic fens, reedbeds and fen meadows. Ireland: Limestone areas, fenland with reedbeds, limestone outcrops and limestone pavement with a rich calcareous flora, sometimes close to lakes.

Habits: It can be swept from the foodplant, flies at dawn and dusk and later comes to light and sugar.

Foodplant: The larva feeds from within a conspicuous silk tube in a spinning of the terminal leaves of Marsh Pea in England or Tufted Vetch or Bitter Vetch in Scotland and probably Ireland. It pupates in a white silk cocoon in the leaf litter.