Scythrididae

43.007 Goosefoot Runner Scythris limbella (Fabricius, 1775)

pRDB3

Similar species:

Forewing: 6 to 8mm

Habitats: Dry grassland, arable fields with root crops and wasteground.

Habits: The moth flies during the day and frequently rests on walls or fences. It comes to light.

Foodplant: The larva feeds on goosefoot and orache. In the earlier stages of the second generation the larva feeds gregariously in a web amongst spun flowers and shoots, but is solitary in the later instars. It is reputed to have an earlier generation, but the foodplants of the early instars of this generation are a mystery, as the known foodplants are not in leaf at that time of year.