Parametriotidae

39.001 Hawthorn Berry Moth Blastodacna hellerella (Duponchel, 1838)

Common

Similar species:

Forewing: 5 to 6mm

Habitats: Hedgerows, deciduous woodland, gardens or wherever the foodplants are present.

Habits: The moth rests on tree trunks in the day and later comes to light.

Foodplant: The larva feeds inside a berry of Hawthorn, Midland Hawthorn or Common Whitebeam. Only a small hole and some discolouration give away its presence, as unlike some other species that feed in these berries the frass is retained inside the fruit. The early larva is whitish, but when full-fed it is red-brown, with a spotted light-brown head and light brown prothoracic and anal plates. It pupates in October inside a spindle-shaped white cocoon within a looser web, in the soil or in rotten wood.