49.183 BF1108  –  Tortricidae –  Olethreutinae – Lobesia abscisana – Thistle Marble – (Doubleday, 1849) Adult Micro:  CAT 2 – Confusion Species –       PDF Icon – click for General Verification Guidelines  |   PDF Icon – click for Specific Verification Guidelines
Blue –  Generally Common / Widespread   
Taxonomy:   Micro   >>  Tortricidae  >> Olethreutinae
Other Name/s: Smoky-barred Marble
ID Difficulty:  amber  – care required in the identification process, as confusion with similar species is likely – quality photographs required.
Confusion Species:  Piniphila bifasciana
ID pointers: Forewing a dark brown with two angled whitish cross-bands.The whitish cross-band nearest to the wing tips has a small rounded brown spot along the inner margin of the outer cross-band.
Distribution:  Common but locally scattered across the county. Food plant is Thistle.
General Comment: None
Flight Period: May /  June /  July /  August /  September –  On the wing during May – June and July-August. Moth Activity: Nocturnal  Crepuscular   – active from dusk and attracted to light Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Tony Davison  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 2 October 2025 by RP ***
Wingspan: 10-13mm
Food Plant: Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense).
Recorded dates for Common [Blue code Blue-coded] moths are not stored on the website at this current time.

Selected Images:  Melbourne, Derbyshire – Tony Davison© 



Distribution Map for Lobesia abscisana

Found 78 records
    ↳ 10 from After 2025
    ↳ 14 from 2020 - 2024
    ↳ 54 from Before 2020
Flying
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

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 – Lobesia abscisana

⚠️ 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: Lobesia abscisana
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

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


First/Last Recorded Dates: Lobesia abscisana
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: Lobesia abscisana
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Lobesia abscisana
AGR: 0.83%   |   Total % Change: 20%


CUSUM Analysis: Lobesia abscisana
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 7 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 9 (September) 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 2012, 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: Lobesia abscisana
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Lobesia abscisana
( 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 - Lobesia abscisana – 78 records available

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

Site NameTetradDateCountStageSource
Findern, DerbyshireSK33A22/08/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Shirland - Hallfieldgate LaneSK35Z13/08/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Belper, DerbyshireSK34N30/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
BelperSK34N23/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Belper, DerbyshireSK34N17/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Ladycroft Ave, BuxtonSK07S08/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
upper cromford gardenSK25Y01/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Langley MillSK44N30/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Shirland - Hallfieldgate LaneSK35Z29/06/20252adultvc57_irecords_extract
Glossop, Gnat Hole Rough FieldsSK09L24/06/20252adultvc57_irecords_extract
BelperSK34U12/08/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Norton Lees, Sheffield (VC)SK38L05/08/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
BelperSK34U28/07/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
High Leas Farm, RiberSK35D28/07/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Haddon HallSK26I10/08/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Mickleover gardenSK33C25/06/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
EA depotSK43G10/08/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Staveley DerbyshireSK47H14/07/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Staveley DerbyshireSK47H07/07/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
BelperSK34U23/07/20211adultvc57_irecords_extract
Not givenSK22F08/07/20211Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Drakelow, Derbys.SK22F08/07/20211adultvc57_irecords_extract
HathersageSK28F08/09/20201adultvc57_irecords_extract
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y12/07/20201Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Rosliston (National Forest Centre), SwadlincoteSK21N22/07/20161Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y17/07/20161Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y16/07/20161Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Shirland-Hallfieldgate LaneSK35Z16/08/20151Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Jim Mart Nature ReserveSK36S03/08/20141Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Burnaston (Toyota Plant NR), DerbySK23V20/07/20131Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Nether Hall Wood, Hartshorne, SwadlincoteSK32A19/07/20131Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Backgarden MarehaySK34Z05/08/20121adultvc57_irecords_extract
Bamford St,RipleySK34Z05/08/20121Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Duffield Rd, Allestree, DerbySK34K26/07/20121Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
George St,BelperSK34N01/06/20122Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Crays Hill Park, Leabrooks, AlfretonSK45B22/09/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Rose Av,ClowneSK57D13/08/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Rose Av,ClowneSK57D10/08/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Rose Av,ClowneSK57D09/08/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Rose Av,ClowneSK57D03/08/20102Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K30/07/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Rose Av,ClowneSK57D22/07/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Rose Av,ClowneSK57D20/07/20103Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Midway Rd,Midway,SwadlincoteSK32A09/07/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Rose Av,ClowneSK57D08/07/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y07/07/20101Adultvc57_irecords_extract
The Hollies,Holly St,Stapenhill,Burton on TrentSK22K21/05/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Midway, Derbys.SK32A25/07/20091adultvc57_irecords_extract
Midway Rd,Midway,SwadlincoteSK32A25/07/20091Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Drakelow NR (Minton's Lagoon), Burton on TrentSK22F24/07/20091Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Midway, Derbys.SK32A10/07/20091adultvc57_irecords_extract
Midway Rd,Midway,SwadlincoteSK32A10/07/20091Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y02/08/20081Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Midway Rd,Midway,SwadlincoteSK32A26/07/20081Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y19/07/20081Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Midway Rd,Midway,SwadlincoteSK32A18/07/20081Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Rosliston (National Forest Centre), SwadlincoteSK21N27/07/20071Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y04/09/20061Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Main St,Kings Newton,MelbourneSK32Y04/09/20061Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Melbourne, DerbyshireSK32X24/08/20062adultvc57_irecords_extract
Spinney Hill,MelbourneSK32X24/08/20062Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Melbourne, DerbyshireSK32X28/07/20061adultvc57_irecords_extract
Spinney Hill,MelbourneSK32X28/07/20061Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Spinney Hill,MelbourneSK32X21/07/20061Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Melbourne, DerbyshireSK32X21/06/20061adultvc57_irecords_extract
Spinney Hill,MelbourneSK32X05/09/20051Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y29/07/20051Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Main St,Kings Newton,MelbourneSK32Y29/07/20051Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y13/07/20051Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Main St,Kings Newton,MelbourneSK32Y13/07/20051Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Rolls Royce site (railway track), DerbySK33R16/05/20051Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Spinney Hill,MelbourneSK32X01/08/20041Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y23/07/20041Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Edgecote Drive,Newhall,SwadlincoteSK22V21/07/20042Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Spinney Hill,MelbourneSK32X15/07/20041Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Moss Valley (Bridle Stile Meadow)SK48F01/08/20031Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Acton Rd Ind Est, Long EatonSK43W19/07/19951Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Deerlands Rd, Ashgate, ChesterfieldSK37K04/07/19931Adultvc57_danes_bc_data

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