Argyresthia bonnetella       Argyresthia semitestacella
20.023 BF422  –  Argyresthiidae – Argyresthia albistria – Dark Blackthorn Tip Moth – (Haworth, 1828) Adult Micro:  CAT 2 – Confusion Species –       PDF Icon – click for General Verification Guidelines  |   PDF Icon – click for Specific Verification Guidelines
Green –  Rare / Uncommon / Scarce   
Taxonomy:   Micro   >>  Argyresthiidae
Other Name/s: Purple Argent
ID Difficulty:  amber  – care required in the identification process, as confusion with similar species is likely – quality photographs required.
Confusion Species:  A.semitestacella
ID pointers: Tiny but distinctive being a plainer and less metallic-looking species than many others of the genus. This moth has a chestnut-brown forewing, usually with a creamy-white stripe from the head to about a third the length of the wing.
Distribution:  (Last record: 11 August 2025 at Chaddesden )  –  Found on Blackthorn, but status unknown/uncertain, and likely to be in widely scattered localities across the county.
Flight Period: July /  August /  –  On the wing in July – August. Moth Activity: Nocturnal   – and is attracted to light Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Will Soar  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 14 August 2025 by TD ***
Wingspan: 9-11mm
 Food Plant: Blackthorn.
Last Recorded Year: 2025
Last Recorded By – Neil Loverock
Last Recorded General Area – Chaddesden
IMAGES BELOW:  Kings Newton Derbyshire – Will Soar ©

20.023 BF422 - Argyresthiidae - Argyresthia albistria
Argyresthia albistria – Dark Blackthorn Tip Moth – Will Soar
20.023 BF422 - Argyresthiidae - Argyresthia albistria
Argyresthia albistria – Dark Blackthorn Tip Moth – Will Soar
20.023 BF422 - Argyresthiidae - Argyresthia albistria
Argyresthia albistria – Dark Blackthorn Tip Moth – Will Soar
20.023 BF422 - Argyresthiidae - Argyresthia albistria
Argyresthia albistria – Dark Blackthorn Tip Moth – Will Soar
20.023 BF422 - Argyresthiidae - Argyresthia albistria
20.023 BF422 - Argyresthiidae - Argyresthia albistria
20.023 BF422 - Argyresthiidae - Argyresthia albistria
20.023 BF422 - Argyresthiidae - Argyresthia albistria

 
 

no images were found

 

Distribution Map for Argyresthia albistria

Found 32 records
    ↳ 5 from After 2025
    ↳ 11 from 2020 - 2024
    ↳ 16 from Before 2020

If the Map Layers function fails, just refresh the page and it should be OK after. Use the +- zoom on the top left, or on a tablet, use two fingers to zoom. Remember, the last layer you ticked is the one which displays the popup information - they sit on top of each other - de-select then re-select, to see the popup values.

******* Choose ONLY one at a time, of either Monad, Tetrad or Hectad Distribution - each has it's own set of data. Also, the distribution maps cover ALL recorded data. *******

Bedrock Geology ** indirectly affects moth distribution by influencing the type of habitat and food plants available in an area. In turn, this may affect the types of moths that can thrive, or where they can most likely be found.

Land-cover * shows the variety of land-cover within the VC57 area, based on the CORINE (Coordination of Information on the Environment) forty-four thematic classes of land-cover. This will show, to a greater or lesser degree, the number and variety of moths found in different land-cover types. The UK continues to operate within the Copernicus programme, with the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) providing Corine Land Cover (CLC) datasets for the UK and its territories.


NBN Atlas UK Distribution for – Argyresthia albistria

⚠️ Please wait for the map to load fully – do not click the link shown.


Note – the NBN Atlas datasets are listed in the map below and vary in their currency (uptodateness) – however, the map does give a general indication of the moth's distribution across the UK.

Visit NBN Site


Monthly Records By Year: Argyresthia albistria
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Monthly Counts By Year: Argyresthia albistria
( data is based on 'Adult' stage records only. )


First/Last Recorded Dates: Argyresthia albistria
Adult-only & Anything [Larvae, Pupae, Adult, Mines]

Shading shows moth presence between dates

Click the colour discs below to Select/De-select as Required

Recordings By Year: Argyresthia albistria
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Argyresthia albistria
AGR: 2.71%   |   Total % Change: 80%


CUSUM Analysis: Argyresthia albistria
About this chart: CUSUM (Cumulative Sum) charts track long-term trends in moth populations [ filtered by 'Adult' and 'Mine' life stages ] by showing whether each year’s counts are above or below the historical average. Even small shifts build up over time, making trends of growth, stability, or decline easier to see. CUSUM highlights trend-consistency — asking: “Across the years, have moth counts mostly stayed above or below average?”
The data sample has 16 gap year/s here (zero records) between 2000 and 2025. The moth may have been present in those gap years, but no data was available. Too many year-gaps may exaggerate or skew the chart.

Counts for the current year (2025) are pro-rated based on data available up to month 8 (August) to provide a full-year equivalent.

ⓘ Purple line rises = years better than average; falls = years worse than average.
Peak (best year) Trough (worst year) Growth periods Decline periods
Population peaked around 2025, reaching above average levels. The lowest population point occurred near 2019, showing a significant decline.

What the Y-axis "Cumulative Deviation" means: Cumulative Deviation shows the running total of how each year’s moth population count differs from the long-term average. i

Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Argyresthia albistria
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Argyresthia albistria
( data includes Adult Stage only )

Flight Period chart – the grey hatched area above, which can cross one or more months, pictorially represents the best guess we have for this moth's flight periods [month/s]. The coloured lines represent the actual months seen in flight, from site observation records received between 2020-2025.

Records Behind the Map and Charts - Argyresthia albistria – 32 records available

Listed by Year - descending - scroll across to see all table columns

Site NameTetradDateCountStageSource
Staunton Harold ReservoirSK32S05/09/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Staveley garden SYASK47H16/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
LittleoverSK33G11/07/20255adultvc57_irecords_extract
LittleoverSK33G12/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Markham Vale South TipSK47K17/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
upper cromford gardenSK25Y05/08/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
High Leas Farm, RiberSK35D28/07/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Findern, Derbyshire, DEAZSK33A23/06/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
High Leas Farm, RiberSK35D26/08/20232adultvc57_irecords_extract
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y15/09/20201Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y26/08/20201Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y17/08/20201Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y14/08/20201Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y12/08/20202Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y07/08/20202Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y05/08/20203Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Weleda Site, IlkestonSK44M07/08/20191adultvc57_irecords_extract
DovedaleSK15K01/08/20111Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Midway Rd,Midway,SwadlincoteSK32A07/08/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y11/07/20051Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Main St,Kings Newton,MelbourneSK32Y11/07/20051Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
FOREMARK RESERVOIRSK32H03/09/20041adultvc57_irecords_extract
Edgecote Drive,Newhall,SwadlincoteSK22V03/09/20041Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Foremark Resr, TicknallSK32H03/09/20041Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y04/08/20041Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Main St,Kings Newton,MelbourneSK32Y04/08/20041Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y09/07/20041Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y16/07/20042Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Main St,Kings Newton,MelbourneSK32Y09/07/20041Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Main St,Kings Newton,MelbourneSK32Y16/07/20042Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y09/08/20031Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Main St,Kings Newton,MelbourneSK32Y09/08/20031Adultvc57_danes_bc_data

 
Argyresthia bonnetella       Argyresthia semitestacella

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