49.285 BF1184  –  Tortricidae –  Olethreutinae – Epiblema scutulana – Thistle Root-borer – ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) 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  >> Olethreutinae
Other Name/s: Thistle Bell
ID Difficulty:  amber  – care required in the identification process, as confusion with similar species is likely – quality photographs required.
Confusion Species:  Epiblema cirsiana (Knapweed Root-borer)
ID pointers: Large white torno-apical blotch as well as the large white medio-dorsal blotch and a grey hindwing.
Distribution:  (Last record: 6 January 2023 at Hathersage )  –  Harrison & Sterling 9 accounts widespread between 1917 – 1963; DaNES 6 records – 1979-2010 and iRecord 6 records 2014-2023
Flight Period: May /  June /  Moth Activity: Cathemeral   – and is attracted to light Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: The late Claire Miles  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 7 May 2025 by RP ***
Wingspan: 18-23mm
Food Plant: Spear Thistle & Musk Thistle
Last Recorded Year: 2023
Last Recorded By – The late Claire Miles
Last Recorded General Area – Hathersage

IMAGES BELOW:  

Hathersage (2022) (2023) The late Claire Miles©

no images were found

Distribution Map for Epiblema scutulana

Found 13 records
    ↳ 1 from After 2025
    ↳ 5 from 2020 - 2024
    ↳ 7 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 – Epiblema scutulana

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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.

Visit NBN Site


Monthly Records By Year: Epiblema scutulana
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

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


First/Last Recorded Dates: Epiblema scutulana
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: Epiblema scutulana
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Epiblema scutulana
AGR: -2.67%   |   Total % Change: -33.3%


CUSUM Analysis: Epiblema scutulana
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 20 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 2010, reaching above average levels. The lowest population point occurred near 2021, 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: Epiblema scutulana
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Epiblema scutulana
( 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 - Epiblema scutulana – 13 records available

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

TaxonSite NameTetradYearDateCountStageSource
Epiblema scutulanaLadycroft Ave, BuxtonSK07S202518/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Epiblema scutulanaHathersage, Derbyshire, UKSK28F202301/06/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Epiblema scutulanaMarkham Vale South TipSK47K202209/06/20224adultvc57_irecords_extract
Epiblema scutulanaHartington MeadowsSK16K202221/06/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Epiblema scutulanaHathersage, Derbyshire, UKSK28F202220/05/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Epiblema scutulanaHavercroft RoadSK38L202109/07/20211Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Epiblema scutulanaMam TorSK18G201402/06/20141adultvc57_irecords_extract
Epiblema scutulanaDovedaleSK15K201007/06/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Epiblema scutulanaBiggin Dale, nr HartingtonSK15P201012/06/20102Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Epiblema scutulanaPin Dale,CastletonSK18L199706/07/19971Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Epiblema scutulanaHigh Peak JunctionSK35C199727/05/19971Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Epiblema scutulanaMapperley NR, Mapperley, IlkestonSK44G198107/06/19811Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Epiblema scutulanaCarvers Rocks NR,Hartshorne,SwadlincoteSK32G197905/06/19791Adultvc57_danes_bc_data

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