Pyralidae

62.0585 Peppered Knot-horn Phycitodes lacteella (Rothschild, 1915)

Immigrant / overlooked resident?

Similar species: Other British Phycitodes spp. Check genitalia.

Forewing: 7 to 8 mm

Habitats: Coastal sites, inland dry wasteground, calcareous downland and steppe, plus sites on sandy soils. It is found in the mediterranean area, parts of Spain, Portugal, Canary Islands, France, Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, Greece, east to Hungary, Austria, Ukraine and Russia. It has recently spread north as far as Denmark, Sweden and Finland.

Habits: The first British record of this moth was at Ormesby St.Margaret, Norfolk on 22nd September 2024. It flies from dusk onwards and comes to light.

Foodplant: The early stages do not seem to have been recorded.