Spoladea recurvalis       Nomophila noctuella
63.048 BF1408  –  Crambidae –  Spilomelinae – Palpita vitrealis – Olive-tree Pearl or Jasmine Moth – (Rossi, 1794) Adult Micro:  CAT 1 – Distinctive Species –       PDF Icon – click for General Verification Guidelines  |   PDF Icon – click for Specific Verification Guidelines
Green –  Rare / Uncommon / Scarce       orange – Migrant
Taxonomy:   Micro   >>  Crambidae  >> Spilomelinae
Other Name/s: Olive Tree Pearl, Jasmine Moth, Palpita unionalis (Hub.)
ID Difficulty:  green  – easy to identify, generally distinctive and unlikely to be confused with other species.
ID pointers: The wings are translucent white with a purplish hue and with a yellowish-brown border to the costa. 
Distribution:  (First record: 1982 at Kelstedge )  –  (Last record: 24 August 2025 at Midway )  –  A rare migrant species. Only 5 records to September 2023. One recorded from Kelstedge in 1982; Melbourne, on  3 Nov 2005 & 10 September 2020, one from Froggatt 16 September 2020, one Aston GP 24 September 2023. Two were trapped by Dave Evans in his Belper garden, one on 26 and another on 28 August 2024. Incredibly a third for August 2024 on the 31st, when Dave Newcombe recorded one from his Belper garden light trap. These represent the 6th, 7th and 8th VC57 records. One trapped on 7 October 2024 by Emily Milnes from Sandiacre, (the 9th VC57 record). During October 2024 an unprecedented arrival occurred in the county, with a total of ten individuals being trapped and most were photographed, these were 1 Quarndon, 1 Sandiacre, 1 Belper; 3 Buxton, 2 Staveley, 2 Chaddesden and with a further individual recorded on 1st November and two more individuals from Quarndon and High Leas, Matlock both on 2nd November 2024, takes the recording area total to 22 individuals. So far in 2025 there have been 29 individuals to 6th September.
Flight Period: August /  September /  October /  –  Usually occurs during August – October. Moth Activity: Nocturnal   – and is attracted to light Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Tony Davison, Bryan Barnacle, Dave Evans, Dave Newcombe, Emily Milnes  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 16 September 2025 by TD ***
Wingspan: 27-31mm
 Food Plant: Jasmine (Jasminium) and Olive (Olea).
Last Recorded Year: 2025
First Recorded Year: 1982
Last Recorded By – M.Williams (iRecord)
Last Recorded General Area – Midway
IMAGES BELOW:  

Palpita Vitrealis - Olive-tree Pearl
Palpita Vitrealis – 1st November 2024 – Sandiacre – Emily Milnes
Palpita vitrealis - Dave Newcombe
Palpita vitrealis – 31/8/2024 – Belper – Dave Newcombe
Palpita vitrealis (Olive-tree Pearl) Dave Evans
Palpita vitrealis (Olive-tree Pearl) – 28 August 2024 Belper – Dave Evans
63.048 BF1408 - Crambidae - Spilomelinae - Palpita vitrealis
Palpita vitrealis – 26 August 2024 – Belper – Dave Evans
63.048 BF1408 - Crambidae - Spilomelinae - Palpita vitrealis
Palpita vitrealis – Trapped 2 -3 November 2005 – Tony Davison
63.048 BF1408 - Crambidae - Spilomelinae - Palpita vitrealis
Palpita vitrealis – Trapped overnight 10-11 September 2020 – Tony Davison
63.048 BF1408 - Crambidae - Spilomelinae - Palpita vitrealis
Palpita vitrealis – Trapped overnight 10-11 September 2020 – Tony Davison
63.048 BF1408 - Crambidae - Spilomelinae - Palpita vitrealis
Palpita vitrealis – Bryan Barnacle – Froggatt, Derbyshire – 16 September 2020
Palpita Vitrealis - Olive-tree Pearl
Palpita vitrealis - Dave Newcombe
Palpita vitrealis (Olive-tree Pearl) Dave Evans
63.048 BF1408 - Crambidae - Spilomelinae - Palpita vitrealis
63.048 BF1408 - Crambidae - Spilomelinae - Palpita vitrealis
63.048 BF1408 - Crambidae - Spilomelinae - Palpita vitrealis
63.048 BF1408 - Crambidae - Spilomelinae - Palpita vitrealis
63.048 BF1408 - Crambidae - Spilomelinae - Palpita vitrealis

Palpita Vitrealis - Sandiacre - Emily Milnes Palpita Vitrealis - 1st November 2024 - Sandiacre - Emily Milnes
Palpita Vitrealis - Sid Morris Palpita Vitrealis - 24th October 2024 - Staveley- Sid Morris
Palpita Vitrealis - Martin Roome 25th Oct 24 Palpita Vitrealis - 25th October 2024 - Chaddesden - Martin Roome
Palpita Vitrealis Palpita Vitrealis - 24th October 2024 - Belper - Dave Newcombe
462513771_10161694705827383_1144219884203352375_n Palpita vitrealis - Olive-tree Pearl - 7th October 2024 - Sandiacre - Emily Milnes
457267249_10160187270976629_4553636740165980987_n Palpita vitrealis (Olive-tree Pearl) - 28th August 2024 - Belper -Dave Evans©
63.048 BF1408-palpita-vitrealis 63.048 BF1408 - Palpita vitrealis (Olive-tree Pearl) - 2nd November 2005 - Melbourne, Derbyshire - Tony Davison©

Distribution Map for Palpita vitrealis

Found 37 records
    ↳ 18 from After 2025
    ↳ 17 from 2020 - 2024
    ↳ 2 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 – Palpita vitrealis

⚠️ 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: Palpita vitrealis
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

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


First/Last Recorded Dates: Palpita vitrealis
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: Palpita vitrealis
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Palpita vitrealis
AGR: 0.53%   |   Total % Change: 11.1%


CUSUM Analysis: Palpita vitrealis
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 21 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 2024, 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: Palpita vitrealis
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Palpita vitrealis
( 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 - Palpita vitrealis – 37 records available

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

TaxonSite NameTetradYearDateCountStageSource
Palpita vitrealisMidway, Derbys.SK32A202506/09/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisLong eaton, Wensleydale RoadSK43R202516/08/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealissheffieldSK38M202510/08/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealissheffieldSK38M202522/08/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisHavercroft RoadSK38L202525/08/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisNorton Lees, SheffieldSK38L202524/08/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisMidway, Derbys.SK32A202524/08/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisAllestree, DerbySK33P202527/08/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisChaddesden, DerbySK33T202523/08/20253adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisChaddesden, DerbySK33T202525/08/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisChaddesden, DerbySK33T202527/08/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisDarley BridgeSK26Q202530/08/20251Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisHathersageSK28F202518/08/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisFindern, DerbyshireSK33A202504/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisAllestree, DerbySK33P202518/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisMatlock, DerbyshireSK26V202528/06/20251Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisMidway, Derbys.SK32A202530/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisBelper, DerbyshireSK34N202524/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisHigh Leas Farm, RiberSK35D202402/11/20242adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisSandiacre GardenSK43T202402/11/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisStaveley DerbyshireSK47H202424/10/20242adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisHavercroft RoadSK38L202426/10/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisLadycroft Ave, BuxtonSK07S202424/10/20242adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisBelper, DerbyshireSK34N202425/10/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisBelper, DerbyshireSK34N202430/10/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisChaddesden, DerbySK33T202425/10/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisChaddesden, DerbySK33T202428/10/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisSandiacre GardenSK43T202425/10/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisCote Heath Allotments, BuxtonSK07R202406/10/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisSandiacre GardenSK43T202408/10/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisBelperSK34N202426/08/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisBelper, DerbyshireSK34N202431/08/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisAston on Trent, near churchSK42E202324/09/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisMelbourne, DerbyshireSK32X202010/09/20201adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisThe Mays, Malthouse Lane, FroggattSK27N202016/09/20201adultDanes_2019-2021
Palpita vitrealisMelbourne, DerbyshireSK32X200502/11/20051adultvc57_irecords_extract
Palpita vitrealisThreepieces, Veron Lane, Kelstedge, AshoverSK36G198218/09/19821Adultvc57_danes_bc_data

Spoladea recurvalis       Nomophila noctuella

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