Leucoptera malifoliella       Prays ruficeps
22.002 BF449  –  Praydidae – Prays fraxinella – Ash Bud Moth – (Bjerkander, 1784) Adult Micro:  CAT 1 – Distinctive Species –       Leaf-miner:  CAT L – The leaf or a Photo required – reared and possibly dissected       PDF Icon – click for General Verification Guidelines  |   PDF Icon – click for Specific Verification Guidelines
Blue –  Generally Common / Widespread        purple – Leaf Miner
Taxonomy:   Micro   >>  Praydidae
Other Name/s: Ash-bud Moth
ID Difficulty:  green  – easy to identify, generally distinctive and unlikely to be confused with other species.
ID pointers: The head and thorax are mostly white. Forewing white with a large triangular shape blackish blotch.
Distribution:  Common across the county where there is Ash.
Flight Period: June /  July /  –  On the wing during the day in June & July. Mine Period: January /  February /  March /  April /  May /  June /  October /  November /  December /   – The larvae mine the leaves of Ash. As they get bigger they feed on the buds of Ash Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Jane & Phil Lester; Jane Hewitt  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 6 May 2025 by RP ***
Wingspan: 14-17mm
 Food Plant: Ash.
Recorded dates for Common [Blue code Blue-coded] moths are not stored on the website at this current time.
IMAGES BELOW:  Curbar, Derbyshire – Jane & Phil Lester © / Birch Vale – Jane Hewitt©

22.002 BF449 - Praydidae - Prays fraxinella
Prays fraxinella – Ash Bud Moth
Prays-fraxinella-Ash-Bud-Moth-18/7/2021 -Birch-Vale-Jane-Hewitt
Prays-fraxinella-Ash-Bud-Moth-18/7/2021 -Birch-Vale-Jane-Hewitt
22.002 BF449 - Praydidae - Prays fraxinella
Prays-fraxinella-Ash-Bud-Moth-18/7/2021 -Birch-Vale-Jane-Hewitt

 
 
22.002 BF449-ash-bud-moth 22.002 BF449 - Prays fraxinella - Ash Bud Moth Curbar, North Derbyshire - Photo by ©Jane & Phil Lester©
 

Distribution Map for Prays fraxinella

Found 88 records
    ↳ 13 from After 2025
    ↳ 24 from 2020 - 2024
    ↳ 51 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 – Prays fraxinella

⚠️ 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: Prays fraxinella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

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


First/Last Recorded Dates: Prays fraxinella
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: Prays fraxinella
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Prays fraxinella
AGR: -6.39%   |   Total % Change: -79.5%


CUSUM Analysis: Prays fraxinella
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 3 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 2005, reaching above average levels. The lowest population point occurred near 2024, 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: Prays fraxinella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Prays fraxinella
( 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.

Mine Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Prays fraxinella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Mine 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 mine periods [month/s]. The coloured lines represent the actual months seen mining, from site observation records received between 2020-2025.

Records Behind the Map and Charts - Prays fraxinella – 88 records available

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

Site NameTetradDateCountStageSource
BelperSK34U23/08/20252adultvc57_irecords_extract
BelperSK34U24/08/20252adultvc57_irecords_extract
Chaddesden, DerbySK33T23/08/20252adultvc57_irecords_extract
BelperSK34U10/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
BelperSK34U11/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Ingleby Ave, DerbySK33L12/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
BelperSK34U12/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Gang Mine, CromfordSK25X23/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Findern, DerbyshireSK33A25/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
BelperSK34U28/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Darwin ForestSK26X30/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Midway, Derbys.SK32A30/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Belper, DerbyshireSK34N30/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
upper cromford gardenSK25Y30/07/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Darley BridgeSK26Q23/06/20241Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Norton Lees, Sheffield, UKSK38L23/06/20241Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Darley BridgeSK26Q22/06/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Norton Lees, Sheffield (VC)SK38L24/06/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
BelperSK34N06/09/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Belper GardenSK34P09/06/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
BelperSK34N22/05/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Derbyshire Wild Life Trust Long CloughSK09G30/05/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Birch ValeSK08I11/07/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Birch ValeSK08I17/07/20222adultvc57_irecords_extract
Ladycroft AveSK07S10/07/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Not givenSK43W09/07/20211Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Birch ValeSK08I18/07/20211Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Erewash Canal, Long EatonSK43V28/06/20211adultvc57_irecords_extract
Midway, Derbys.SK32A01/06/20211adultvc57_irecords_extract
Woodland AveSK43R14/09/20202adultvc57_irecords_extract
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y15/09/20203Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Woodland AveSK43R09/08/20201adultvc57_irecords_extract
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y17/08/20201Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y12/08/20202Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Birch ValeSK08I11/08/20201adultvc57_irecords_extract
Birch ValeSK08I23/06/20201adultvc57_irecords_extract
Birch ValeSK08I24/06/20201adultvc57_irecords_extract
Birch ValeSK08I07/08/20191adultvc57_irecords_extract
Waingroves WoodsSK44E18/07/20181adultvc57_irecords_extract
Norton LeesSK38L19/06/20181Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Waingroves WoodsSK44E05/08/20172adultvc57_irecords_extract
Backgarden MarehaySK34Z06/09/20162adultvc57_irecords_extract
Waingroves Wood Moth and Bat EventSK44E06/08/20161adultvc57_irecords_extract
Backgarden MarehaySK34Z16/08/20161adultvc57_irecords_extract
Straw's Bridge, Ilkeston, Meadow near Sustrans Cycle TrackSK44K11/08/20163adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sheffield, England, United KingdomSK38L08/07/20161Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Norton Lees gardenSK38L07/07/20162not recordedvc57_irecords_extract
Norton Lees gardenSK38L19/07/20161not recordedvc57_irecords_extract
Willington, DerbyshireSK32E23/06/20151adultvc57_irecords_extract
Smalley Green, HeanorSK44B27/06/20142Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Backgarden MarehaySK34Z08/08/20131adultvc57_irecords_extract
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y21/08/20131Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Buxton SK, UKSK07S13/07/20131Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Ladycroft AveSK07S11/07/20131adultvc57_irecords_extract
Ladycroft AveSK07S12/07/20131adultvc57_irecords_extract
Ladycroft AveSK07S19/07/20131adultvc57_irecords_extract
Ladycroft AveSK07S19/07/20131adultvc57_irecords_extract
Wood Lane,Newhall,SwadlincoteSK22V05/07/20131Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Buxton SK, UKSK07S24/07/20121Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Carr WoodSK45A22/06/20121adultvc57_irecords_extract
Carr Wood, RipleySK45A22/06/20121Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K29/08/20111Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K01/08/20111Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Midway Rd,Midway,SwadlincoteSK32A25/06/20111Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Backgarden MarehaySK34Z07/05/20111adultvc57_irecords_extract
Bamford St,RipleySK34Z07/05/20111Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K30/07/20102Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Biggin Dale, nr HartingtonSK15P06/07/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K25/07/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K05/07/20091Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Lathkill Dale (open dale west of main ash woodland), BakewellSK16X11/08/20071Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y11/06/20071Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Cramside Wood (DWT reserve)SK17R20/06/20071Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y04/09/20061Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Main St,Kings Newton,MelbourneSK32Y04/09/20061Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Seventy Acre Woods/Flash Lane, DerbyshireSK26Y23/06/20053adultvc57_irecords_extract
Beeley (Seventy Acre Wood)SK26Y23/06/20053Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y13/07/20041Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y27/07/20041Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Main St,Kings Newton,MelbourneSK32Y13/07/20041Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Main St,Kings Newton,MelbourneSK32Y27/07/20041Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y29/06/20042Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Main St,Kings Newton,MelbourneSK32Y29/06/20042Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y17/08/20031Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Main St,Kings Newton,MelbourneSK32Y17/08/20031Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Grindleford (Padley Mill C)SK27P21/07/20016Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
The Shimmers, Cressbrook, BuxtonSK17R20/07/19961Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Deerlands Rd, Ashgate, ChesterfieldSK37K12/09/19881Adultvc57_danes_bc_data

 
Leucoptera malifoliella       Prays ruficeps

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