Pterophoridae

45.007 Irish Plume Platyptilia tesseradactyla (Linnaeus, 1761)

Extinct in Britain, now Ireland only.

Similar species:

Forewing: 8.5 to 10mm

Habitats: Limestone pavement, limestone grassland and embankments.

Habits: The moth rests on the flowers of the foodplant and is easily disturbed in the day. It flies around the foodplant in evening sunshine.

Foodplant: The larva feeds on Mountain Everlasting. The small larva mines the heads, eating parts of the flower and the developing seeds. It then mines the main stem and sometimes a leaf. This often distorts the plant and inhibits its growth. After overwintering the larva again feeds on the flower buds, developing seeds and stems. It pupates within a hollowed out, basal bud.