Davey, P., 2009: A rare and declining species, known only from a few scattered sites across southern England, the larva feeding on oak (Quercus spp.) or beech (Fagus sylvatica), but abroad on lime (Tiliae spp.), birch (Betulae spp.) and poplar (Populus spp.) also. In Dorset, this tiny macro moth, more micro than macro to look at some might say, has been found in mid-July in two old deciduous but widely-separated woods on clay soil: Oakers Wood, at MV light on 12 July 1997 (D Foot) and Boys Wood, at MV light on 15 July 2003 (P Davey). Oakers Wood was mentioned in the Domesday Book, so the core mature oak-tree habitat has remained largely intact for a very long period of time. Managing a varied age structure of oak throughout Oakers Wood could be beneficial to maintaining this species at the site. The risk from wholesale felling of the oaks within the wood is unlikely at the current time as such activity on any SSSI requires consent from English Nature and from the Forestry Authority. Mature oak dominates Boys Wood and these are harvested to support a family-run timber business that resisted the temptation to re-afforest with conifers in the latter half of the twentieth century. A continuation of the sympathetic management at Boys Wood should be beneficial to maintaining this species at the site.

	Retained Specimen / Photograph will be Required.

Recorded in 2 (5%) of 40 10k Squares.
First Recorded in 1997.
Last Recorded in 2003.
(Data up to end 2019)