Ancylosis oblietella - 12th August 2026 - Melbourne - Tony Davison
62.053 BF1467  – Saltmarsh Knot-horn  – Ancylosis oblitella  – Zeller 1848
Adult Micro:  CAT 2 – Can be confused with other species –      
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Brown –  Significant Record / Rare / Vagrant         orange – Migrant
Taxonomy:   Micro   >>  Pyralidae  >> Phycitinae
ID Difficulty:  amber  – care required in the identification process, as confusion with similar species is likely – quality photographs required.
ID pointers: Adults are exceedingly variable in colour, ranging from nearly pure white with feint markings, to almost entirely black. Usually identified by a dark patch on the inner dorsum and a pale, jagged cross-line on the upper forewings.
Distribution:  Formerly a scarce migrant and maybe still is. It colonised south-eastern England in the 1950’s. The species name is somewhat misleading as it is not confined to saltmarshes. It seems to be becoming more widespread. A first VC57 Derbyshire record when one adult was attracted to a 20W Actinic light trap in Melbourne on 12th/13th August 2026.
General Comment: None
Flight Period: May /  July /  August –  double brooded Moth Activity: Nocturnal   – and is attracted to light Photographed: Yes –   Photographed By: Tony Davison  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 14 August 2026 by TD ***
Wingspan: 18-22mm
Food Plant: Goosefoot
First Recorded Year: 2026
Last Recorded By – Not Recorded
Last Recorded General Area – Not Recorded

Possible Future Content


Images of Interest:



Temporal Distribution Chart
(click legend below to show/hide datasets)
This chart summarises all available historical occurrence records collated by ISO week of the year. It reflects recorder effort and sampling distribution as well as true biological activity, and should be interpreted as an indicative pattern of seasonal occurrence rather than a statistically controlled abundance or phenology model.


Changes in First and Last Recorded Activity Dates Over Time
Activity Data Range: – – –
Earliest Appearance: No useable dates available
Latest Appearance: No useable dates available
This chart presents a time-series summary of recorded observations. It is based on available records at the time of analysis and will evolve as further data are added. The rolling mean provides a smoothed representation of variation in recorded activity over time. Annual record totals are shown for context; years with fewer records may provide a less complete representation of activity than years with higher recording intensity. Interpretation should consider that apparent trends may reflect both biological change and variation in recording effort.

Distribution Map for Ancylosis oblitella

No records found
Flying
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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 – Ancylosis oblitella

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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.

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Monthly Records By Year: Ancylosis oblitella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Monthly Counts By Year: Ancylosis oblitella
( data is based on 'Adult' stage records only )

First/Last Recorded Dates: Ancylosis oblitella
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: Ancylosis oblitella
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Ancylosis oblitella
AGR: 0%   |   Total % Change: 0%
Ancylosis oblitella
Insufficient records/data for an AGR analysis
Years Analysed: 2000 – 2026

Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Ancylosis oblitella
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Ancylosis oblitella

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 - Ancylosis oblitella – 0 records available

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

No records found for Ancylosis oblitella.

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