49.286 BF1184a  –  Tortricidae –  Olethreutinae – Epiblema cirsiana – Knapweed Root-borer – (Zeller, 1843) 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: Knapweed Bell
ID Difficulty:  amber  – care required in the identification process, as confusion with similar species is likely – quality photographs required.
Confusion Species:  Epiblema scutulana (Thistle Root-borer) E. sticticana
ID pointers: Very similar to E.scutulana which has a pale hindwing, and E.sticticana food plant helps in some cases.Generally smaller, showing less white on the forewing.
Distribution:  (Last record: 21 May 2025 at Belper )  –  Harrison & Sterling – records between 1919 – 1968 widespread; DaNES – 9 records 1905(3), 2007,2008, 2014(3). Several reported to iRecord (2022 & 2023) but these have been inconclusive One recorded in Belper on 21st May 2025.It was freshly emerged on Knapweed with none of the other larval food plants of the trio of confusion in the vicinity. Next day there were another 2 specimens on the same plant.
Flight Period: May /  June /  –  One generation May-June Moth Activity: Cathemeral   – and is attracted to light Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Dave Evans  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 30 May 2025 by TD ***
Wingspan: 12-23mm
Food Plant: Marsh Thistle and Common Knapweed
Last Recorded Year: 2025
Last Recorded By – Dave Evans
Last Recorded General Area – Belper

IMAGES BELOW:  

Belper May 2025 – Dave Evans©

no images were found

Distribution Map for Epiblema cirsiana

Found 12 records
    ↳ 1 from After 2025
    ↳ 2 from 2020 - 2024
    ↳ 9 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 cirsiana

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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 cirsiana
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

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


First/Last Recorded Dates: Epiblema cirsiana
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 cirsiana
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Epiblema cirsiana
AGR: -3.25%   |   Total % Change: -50%


CUSUM Analysis: Epiblema cirsiana
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 19 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 2008, reaching above average levels. The lowest population point occurred near 2023, 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 cirsiana
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Epiblema cirsiana
( 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 cirsiana – 12 records available

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

TaxonSite NameTetradYearDateCountStageSource
Epiblema cirsianaMarkham Vale South TipSK47K202505/05/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Epiblema cirsianaEtherow CPSJ99Q202308/06/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Epiblema cirsianaSett ValleySJ98X202217/05/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Epiblema cirsianaMillennium Meadow NR, DuffieldSK34L201410/06/20141Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Epiblema cirsianaMillennium Meadow NR, DuffieldSK34L201417/05/20141Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Epiblema cirsianaMillennium Meadow NR, DuffieldSK34L201421/04/20141Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Epiblema cirsianaBriar Close,Newhall,SwadlincoteSK22V200821/05/20083Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Epiblema cirsianaTideswell DaleSK17L200709/06/20071Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Epiblema cirsianaClough Wood/Darley BridgeSK26Q200422/05/20042Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Epiblema cirsianaVia Gelia, Matlock (site not precise)SK25N190502/04/19051Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Epiblema cirsianaWillington area, DerbySK22Z190502/04/19051Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Epiblema cirsianaLittle Eaton, Derby (site not precise)SK34Q190502/04/19051Adultvc57_danes_bc_data

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