UKMoths Agonopterix propinquella
32.016 BF696
Agonopterix propinquella
(Treitschke, 1835)
Wingspan 16-19mm.
The eggs of this species are laid on a leaf of creeping thistle or spear thistle (Cirsium vulgare), with the larvae mining the underside if the leaf, until a late instar where it feeds in a web under the midrib of the leaf, causing visible blotching on the upperside.
The larvae pupate in August, usually amongst the leaf litter, occasionally within the web. The adults emerge in a single generation in September, and hibernate through the winter, re-emerging in spring. The moth often comes to light.
The species is found in England, Wales and southern Scotland.
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