Aethes beatricella       Aethes rubigana
49.127 BF945  –  Tortricidae –  Tortricinae – Aethes cnicana – Thistle Straw – (Westwood, 1854) 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   >>  Tortricidae  >> Tortricinae
Other Name/s: Thistle Conch
ID Difficulty:  amber  – care required in the identification process, as confusion with similar species is likely – quality photographs required.
Confusion Species:  A. rubigana
ID pointers: Forewing is a creamy whitish, usually suffused with brownish-yellow and greyish. An orange-brown or reddish-brown angled cross-band at about one half and another more obscured towards the apex.
Distribution:  (Last record: 20 June 2024 at Buxton )  –  Although a nationally common species, this moth seems very scarce and localised across the county, favouring the north-west and found on Thistles.
Flight Period: June /  July /  August /  –  On the wing during June – August. Moth Activity: Nocturnal   – and is attracted to light Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Steve Orridge, Dave Evans  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 7 May 2025 by RP ***
Wingspan: 14-17mm
 Food Plant: Thistle (Cirsium).
Last Recorded Year: 2024
Last Recorded By – Ian White
Last Recorded General Area – Buxton
IMAGES BELOW:  Buxton, Derbyshire – Steve Orridge© / Belper – Dave Evans©

49.127 BF945 - Tortricidae - Tortricinae - Aethes cnicana
Aethes cnicana – Buxton – Steve Orridge
Aethes cnicana - 14th June 2023- Belper- Dave Evans
Aethes cnicana – 14th June 2023- Belper- Dave Evans
49.127 BF945 - Tortricidae - Tortricinae - Aethes cnicana
Aethes cnicana - 14th June 2023- Belper- Dave Evans

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Distribution Map for Aethes cnicana

Found 42 records
    ↳ 8 from After 2025
    ↳ 15 from 2020 - 2024
    ↳ 19 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 – Aethes cnicana

⚠️ 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: Aethes cnicana
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

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


First/Last Recorded Dates: Aethes cnicana
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: Aethes cnicana
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Aethes cnicana
AGR: 2.23%   |   Total % Change: 62.5%


CUSUM Analysis: Aethes cnicana
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 10 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 7 (July) 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 2017, 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: Aethes cnicana
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Aethes cnicana
( 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 - Aethes cnicana – 42 records available

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

TaxonSite NameTetradYearDateCountStageSource
Aethes cnicanaShirland - Hallfieldgate LaneSK35Z202512/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaupper cromford gardenSK25Y202520/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaLadycroft Ave, BuxtonSK07S202521/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaBuxton (w)SK07R202520/06/20252adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaupper cromford gardenSK25Y202530/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaCown Edge Farm marshSK09A202517/06/20254adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaCown Edge Farm marshSK09A202530/06/20252adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaBuxton (w)SK07R202530/05/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaDarley BridgeSK26Q202414/07/20241Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaHollinscloughSK06N202417/06/20241Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaBuxton (w)SK07R202420/06/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaBirch ValeSK08I202320/06/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaBelperSK34N202314/06/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaBirch ValeSK08I202217/06/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaBirch ValeSK08I202221/06/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaBirch ValeSK08I202224/06/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaNinelands RoadSK28F202123/07/20211adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaBROWN LOWSJ99V202122/06/20211adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaHathersage, Derbyshire, UKSK28F202123/06/20211adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaBirch ValeSK08I202116/06/20211Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaBirch ValeSK08I202015/06/20201adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaBirch ValeSK08I202022/06/20201adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaBirch ValeSK08I202023/06/20201adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaLadycroft Ave, BuxtonSK07S201910/07/20191adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaBirch ValeSK08I201917/06/20192adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaTrowell Marsh LNRSK43U201807/07/20182adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaShirland - Hallfieldgate LaneSK35Z201706/07/20171adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaTrent LockSK43V201616/07/20162not recordedvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaBirch ValeSK08I201622/06/20161adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaJim Mart Nature ReserveSK36S201509/07/20151Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaBirch ValeSK08I201509/07/20151adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaLadycroft AveSK07S201305/07/20131adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaLadycroft AveSK07S201321/06/20131adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaThe Hollies,Station Rd,Darley DaleSK26R201104/07/20111Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Aethes cnicanaBeeley Triangle, Beeley Moor, BeeleySK26Y201104/07/20111Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Aethes cnicanaDale Rd (grassland), BuxtonSK07R201103/06/20111Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Aethes cnicanaBiggin Dale, nr HartingtonSK15P201006/07/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Aethes cnicanaBiggin Dale, nr HartingtonSK15P201012/06/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Aethes cnicanaMidway, Derbys.SK32A200910/07/20091adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaMidway Rd,Midway,SwadlincoteSK32A200910/07/20091Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Aethes cnicanaCalke Park Whimsey FieldSK32R200306/07/20031Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aethes cnicanaCunning Dale, Buxton (site not precise)SK07W199707/07/19971Adultvc57_danes_bc_data

Aethes beatricella       Aethes rubigana

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