49.127 BF945 – Thistle Straw – Aethes cnicana – (Westwood, 1854)
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
– 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.
General Comment: None *** Last updated on 2 October 2025 by RP ***
Last Recorded Year: 2024
Last Recorded By – Ian White
Last Recorded General Area – Buxton
Selected Images: Buxton, Derbyshire – Steve Orridge© / Belper – Dave Evans©
Image Gallery
No gallery images found for this moth.
Temporal Distribution Chart
Adults: (between 1997 - 2025)
(click legend below to show/hide datasets)
Distribution Map for Aethes cnicana
Found 45 records
↳ from 2026+
↳ 25 from 2020 - 2025
↳ 20 from Before 2020
↳ from 2026+
↳ 25 from 2020 - 2025
↳ 20 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.
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 – 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.
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: 1.86% | Total % Change: 50%
Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Aethes cnicana
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Aethes cnicana
Aethes cnicana
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 - Aethes cnicana – 45 records available
Listed by Year - descending - scroll across to see all table columns
| Site Name | Tetrad | Date | Count | Stage | Recorder | Source | RecordKey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| upper cromford garden | SK25Y | 30/06/2025 | 1 | adult | Ashton, Clive | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC42882895 |
| Cown Edge Farm marsh | SK09A | 30/06/2025 | 2 | adult | Heintzen, Christian | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC43979872 |
| Ladycroft Ave, Buxton | SK07S | 21/06/2025 | 1 | adult | Orridge, Steve | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC42581801 |
| upper cromford garden | SK25Y | 20/06/2025 | 1 | adult | Ashton, Clive | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC42503756 |
| Buxton (w) | SK07R | 20/06/2025 | 2 | adult | White, Ian | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC42611121 |
| Cown Edge Farm marsh | SK09A | 17/06/2025 | 4 | adult | Heintzen, Christian | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC43979453 |
| Shirland - Hallfieldgate Lane | SK35Z | 12/06/2025 | 1 | adult | Mahadevan, Nikki | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC42284474 |
| Birch Vale | SK08I | 06/06/2025 | 1 | adult | Hewitt, Jane | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC47544403 |
| Birch Vale | SK08I | 31/05/2025 | 1 | adult | Hewitt, Jane | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC47544402 |
| Buxton (w) | SK07R | 30/05/2025 | 1 | adult | White, Ian | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC41949554 |
| Darley Bridge | SK26Q | 14/07/2024 | 1 | Adult | Moores, Stephen | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC37082273 |
| Buxton (w) | SK07R | 20/06/2024 | 1 | adult | White, Ian | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC36564491 |
| Hollinsclough | SK06N | 17/06/2024 | 1 | Adult | Moores, Stephen | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC36489701 |
| Birch Vale | SK08I | 20/06/2023 | 1 | adult | Hewitt, Jane | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC34349953 |
| Belper | SK34N | 14/06/2023 | 1 | adult | Evans, Dave | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC35314890 |
| Birch Vale | SK08I | 24/06/2022 | 1 | adult | Hewitt, Jane | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC34084052 |
| Birch Vale | SK08I | 21/06/2022 | 1 | adult | Hewitt, Jane | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC34084003 |
| Birch Vale | SK08I | 17/06/2022 | 1 | adult | Hewitt, Jane | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC34083926 |
| Ninelands Road | SK28F | 23/07/2021 | 1 | adult | Blues, Clare | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC27392590 |
| Hathersage, Derbyshire, UK | SK28F | 23/06/2021 | 1 | adult | Miles, Claire | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC29594658 |
| BROWN LOW | SJ99V | 22/06/2021 | 1 | adult | BISSITT, ANDREW | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC20853364 |
| Birch Vale | SK08I | 16/06/2021 | 1 | Adult | Hewitt, Jane | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC34472074 |
| Birch Vale | SK08I | 23/06/2020 | 1 | adult | Hewitt, Jane | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC35067390 |
| Birch Vale | SK08I | 22/06/2020 | 1 | adult | Hewitt, Jane | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC35066838 |
| Birch Vale | SK08I | 15/06/2020 | 1 | adult | Hewitt, Jane | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC35066674 |
| Ladycroft Ave, Buxton | SK07S | 10/07/2019 | 1 | adult | Orridge, Steve | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC35097019 |
| Birch Vale | SK08I | 17/06/2019 | 2 | adult | Hewitt, Jane | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC35072375 |
| Trowell Marsh LNR | SK43U | 07/07/2018 | 2 | adult | Bryce, Marion | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC7163973 |
| Shirland - Hallfieldgate Lane | SK35Z | 06/07/2017 | 1 | adult | Mahadevan, Nikki | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC34968415 |
| Trent Lock | SK43V | 16/07/2016 | 2 | Adult | Bryce, Marion | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC3679578 |
| Birch Vale | SK08I | 22/06/2016 | 1 | adult | Hewitt, Jane | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC41008164 |
| Jim Mart Nature Reserve | SK36S | 09/07/2015 | 1 | Adult | Mahadevan, Nikki | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC34907863 |
| Birch Vale | SK08I | 09/07/2015 | 1 | adult | Hewitt, Jane | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC41009863 |
| Ladycroft Ave | SK07S | 04/07/2015 | 1 | adult | Orridge, Steve | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC48844870 |
| Ladycroft Ave | SK07S | 05/07/2013 | 1 | adult | Orridge, Steve | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC40990746 |
| Ladycroft Ave | SK07S | 21/06/2013 | 1 | adult | Orridge, Steve | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC40990658 |
| The Hollies,Station Rd,Darley Dale | SK26R | 04/07/2011 | 1 | Adult | Roddis, Simon | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001CP74R |
| Beeley Triangle, Beeley Moor, Beeley | SK26Y | 04/07/2011 | 1 | Adult | A. Butler | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001CP74T |
| Dale Rd (grassland), Buxton | SK07R | 03/06/2011 | 1 | Adult | K.R. Huston | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001CP6XS |
| Biggin Dale, nr Hartington | SK15P | 06/07/2010 | 1 | Adult | D. Grundy | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001CP5RY |
| Biggin Dale, nr Hartington | SK15P | 12/06/2010 | 1 | Adult | VC57 Derbyshire Recorder | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001CP5DX |
| Midway, Derbys. | SK32A | 10/07/2009 | 1 | adult | Williams, Michael | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC41990992 |
| Midway Rd,Midway,Swadlincote | SK32A | 10/07/2009 | 1 | Adult | M.J. Williams | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001CP027 |
| Calke Park Whimsey Field | SK32R | 06/07/2003 | 1 | Adult | Soar, Will | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC34675629 |
| Cunning Dale, Buxton (site not precise) | SK07W | 07/07/1997 | 1 | Adult | I.F. Smith | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001COZ1P |