49.020 BF974 – Heather Tortrix – Argyrotaenia ljungiana – (Thunberg, 1797)
Adult Micro: CAT 2 – Can be confused with other species –
– click for General Verification Guidelines | – click for Specific Verification Guidelines
– click for General Verification Guidelines | – click for Specific Verification Guidelines 
– Rare / Uncommon / Scarce 
– Day-flying
– care required in the identification process, as confusion with similar species is likely – quality photographs required. ID pointers: Quite distinctive. Panels of dark brown and pale cream across the closed forewing. A rusty brown scale tuft in the basal area of the forewing.
Distribution: (Last record: 12 April 2025 at Hollingworth Clough ) – Despite being a moorland species and with very few records since 1988. Of the 25 records received all are from three locations in the south east corner of the county – Sandiacre, Breaston and Long Eaton. One record from Belper. A record from the north Derbyshire moors 12/4/2025 from Hollingworth Clough. I’m sure this species is under-recorded on the heather moors of the recording area.
General Comment: None *** Last updated on 2 October 2025 by RP ***
Last Recorded Year: 2025
Last Recorded By – Christian Heintzen
Last Recorded General Area – Hollingworth Clough
Selected Images: Belper, Derbyshire – Dave Evans© / Hollingworth Clough 12/4/2025 – Christian Heintzen©
Image Gallery
No gallery images found for this moth.
Temporal Distribution Chart
Adults: (between 1970 - 2025)
(click legend below to show/hide datasets)
Distribution Map for Argyrotaenia ljungiana
Found 42 records
↳ from 2026+
↳ 35 from 2020 - 2025
↳ 7 from Before 2020
↳ from 2026+
↳ 35 from 2020 - 2025
↳ 7 from Before 2020
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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.
NBN Atlas UK Distribution for – Argyrotaenia ljungiana
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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.
Monthly Records By Year:
Argyrotaenia ljungiana
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Monthly Counts By Year:
Argyrotaenia ljungiana
( data is based on 'Adult' stage records only )
First/Last Recorded Dates: Argyrotaenia ljungiana
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: Argyrotaenia ljungiana
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Argyrotaenia ljungiana
AGR: 1.1% | Total % Change: 28.6%
Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Argyrotaenia ljungiana
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Argyrotaenia ljungiana
Argyrotaenia ljungiana
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 2020-2026.
Records Behind the Map and Charts - Argyrotaenia ljungiana – 42 records available
Listed by Year - descending - scroll across to see all table columns
| Site Name | Tetrad | Date | Count | Stage | Recorder | Source | RecordKey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandiacre Garden | SK43T | 11/05/2025 | 2 | adult | Milnes, Emily | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC44473620 |
| Glossop, Black Moor | SK09R | 06/05/2025 | 1 | adult | Heintzen, Christian | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC43979028 |
| Sandiacre Garden | SK43T | 01/05/2025 | 1 | adult | Milnes, Emily | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC44473597 |
| Sandiacre Garden | SK43T | 28/04/2025 | 2 | adult | Milnes, Emily | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC44473478 |
| Leygatehead & Middle Moor above Little Hayfield | SK08P | 11/04/2025 | 1 | adult | Heintzen, Christian | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC43978958 |
| Leygatehead & Middle Moor above Little Hayfield | SK08P | 11/04/2025 | 1 | adult | Heintzen, Christian | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC43978959 |
| Sandiacre Garden | SK43T | 04/04/2025 | 1 | adult | Milnes, Emily | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC41568475 |
| Sandiacre Garden | SK43T | 01/08/2024 | 4 | adult | Milnes, Emily | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC40222039 |
| Sandiacre Garden | SK43T | 30/07/2024 | 5 | adult | Milnes, Emily | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC40192453 |
| Sandiacre Garden | SK43T | 20/07/2024 | 1 | adult | Milnes, Emily | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC40192383 |
| Woodland Ave | SK43R | 18/07/2024 | 1 | adult | Thorpe, Steve | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC40044821 |
| Sandiacre Garden | SK43T | 17/05/2024 | 1 | adult | Milnes, Emily | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC39165430 |
| Sandiacre Garden | SK43T | 11/05/2024 | 4 | adult | Milnes, Emily | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC39165357 |
| Sandiacre Garden | SK43T | 06/05/2024 | 4 | adult | Milnes, Emily | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC39165343 |
| Sandiacre | SK43T | 03/05/2024 | 2 | adult | Milnes, Emily | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC37895998 |
| Sandiacre | SK43T | 01/05/2024 | 2 | adult | Milnes, Emily | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC37895915 |
| Sandiacre | SK43T | 12/04/2024 | 1 | adult | Milnes, Emily | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC37895769 |
| Sandiacre | SK43T | 30/07/2023 | 3 | adult | Milnes, Emily | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC34528810 |
| Sandiacre | SK43T | 23/07/2023 | 2 | adult | Milnes, Emily | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC34436633 |
| Woodland Ave | SK43R | 21/07/2023 | 1 | adult | Thorpe, Steve | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC33496743 |
| Sandiacre | SK43T | 19/05/2023 | 3 | adult | Milnes, Emily | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC34092957 |
| Garden | SK43T | 07/05/2023 | 4 | adult | Milnes, Emily | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC30256307 |
| Woodland Ave | SK43R | 06/05/2023 | 1 | adult | Thorpe, Steve | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC33496376 |
| Sandiacre | SK43T | 10/08/2022 | 2 | adult | Milnes, Emily | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC35177934 |
| Sandiacre | SK43T | 31/07/2022 | 1 | adult | Milnes, Emily | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC35177899 |
| Long Eaton, Nottingham, UK | SK43W | 28/07/2022 | 1 | Adult | Arctic | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC32191123 |
| Woodland Ave | SK43R | 27/07/2022 | 1 | adult | Thorpe, Steve | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC33495046 |
| Woodland Ave | SK43R | 19/07/2022 | 4 | Adult | Thorpe, Steve | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC27846507 |
| Sandiacre | SK43T | 19/07/2022 | 1 | adult | Milnes, Emily | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC35177304 |
| Sandiacre | SK43T | 20/04/2022 | 1 | adult | Milnes, Emily | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC35174630 |
| Woodland Ave | SK43R | 20/07/2021 | 1 | adult | Thorpe, Steve | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC33498928 |
| Woodland Ave | SK43R | 31/05/2021 | 1 | adult | Thorpe, Steve | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC33498174 |
| Woodland Ave | SK43R | 09/08/2020 | 1 | adult | Thorpe, Steve | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC33501980 |
| Woodland Ave | SK43R | 06/08/2020 | 1 | adult | Thorpe, Steve | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC33501915 |
| Woodland Ave | SK43R | 07/05/2020 | 1 | adult | Thorpe, Steve | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC33500585 |
| Long eaton | SK24W | 21/04/2019 | 1 | Adult | Bryce, Marion | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC9838206 |
| Forbes Hole (meadow area),Long Eaton | SK43W | 22/07/2006 | 1 | Adult | Dave Budworth;B.G. Sewell;N.J. Ward | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001COW3Q |
| Beeley Moor, Beeley | SK26Y | 20/05/2002 | 1 | Adult | B.L. Statham | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001CP1FZ |
| Acton Rd Ind Est, Long Eaton | SK43W | 25/07/1995 | 1 | Adult | VC57 Derbyshire Recorder | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001CP17X |
| Slagmill Plantation, Beeley Moor (site not precise) | SK36E | 09/06/1994 | 1 | Adult | VC57 Derbyshire Recorder | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001CP12R |
| Slagmill Plantation, Beeley Moor (site not precise) | SK36E | 31/05/1994 | 1 | Adult | VC57 Derbyshire Recorder | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001CP12I |
| Lathkill Dale,Bakewell | SK16X | 25/05/1970 | 1 | Adult | VC57 Derbyshire Recorder | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001COQI3 |