Palpita vitrealis - Dave Evans
63.048 BF1408  – Olive-tree Pearl or Jasmine Moth  – Palpita vitrealis  – (Rossi, 1794)
Adult Micro:  CAT 1 – Distinctive species unlikely to be confused with others –      
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.
General Comment: None
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 2 October 2025 by RP ***
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

Selected Images:  



Temporal Distribution Chart
Adults: (between 1982 - 2025)  |  Immatures: (between 2025 - 2025)
(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.

Distribution Map for Palpita vitrealis

Found 47 records
    ↳ from 2026+
    ↳ 43 from 2020 - 2025
    ↳ 4 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 – 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: 0.74%   |   Total % Change: 16%

Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Palpita vitrealis
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Palpita vitrealis

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 - Palpita vitrealis – 47 records available

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

Site Name Tetrad Date Count Stage Recorder Source RecordKey
King's Newton SK32Y 12/11/2025 1 adult Soar, Will vc57_irecords_extract iBRC48470765
Ladycroft Ave, Buxton SK07S 19/09/2025 1 adult Orridge, Steve vc57_irecords_extract iBRC48224893
Midway, Derbys. SK32A 18/09/2025 2 adult Williams, Michael vc57_irecords_extract iBRC45485939
Belper SK34U 18/09/2025 1 pupa Evans, Dave vc57_irecords_extract iBRC45469409
Midway, Derbys. SK32A 06/09/2025 1 adult Williams, Michael vc57_irecords_extract iBRC45184671
Sandiacre Garden SK43T 06/09/2025 1 adult Milnes, Emily vc57_irecords_extract iBRC48438837
Ladycroft Ave, Buxton SK07S 02/09/2025 1 adult Orridge, Steve vc57_irecords_extract iBRC48199753
Darley Bridge SK26Q 30/08/2025 1 Adult Moores, Stephen vc57_irecords_extract iBRC44927578
Allestree, Derby SK33P 27/08/2025 1 adult Plant, Stephen vc57_irecords_extract iBRC44851742
Chaddesden, Derby SK33T 27/08/2025 1 adult roome, martin vc57_irecords_extract iBRC44886835
Chaddesden, Derby SK33T 25/08/2025 1 adult roome, martin vc57_irecords_extract iBRC44886476
Havercroft Road SK38L 25/08/2025 1 adult Tait, Malcolm vc57_irecords_extract iBRC44740315
Midway, Derbys. SK32A 24/08/2025 1 adult Williams, Michael vc57_irecords_extract iBRC44789135
Belper, Derbyshire SK34N 24/08/2025 1 adult Newcombe, Dave vc57_irecords_extract iBRC50608700
Norton Lees, Sheffield SK38L 24/08/2025 1 adult Mella, Pete vc57_irecords_extract iBRC44756629
Sandiacre Garden SK43T 24/08/2025 2 adult Milnes, Emily vc57_irecords_extract iBRC51069149
Chaddesden, Derby SK33T 23/08/2025 3 adult roome, martin vc57_irecords_extract iBRC44885974
sheffield SK38M 22/08/2025 1 adult Turner, Jan vc57_irecords_extract iBRC44704378
Hathersage SK28F 18/08/2025 1 adult Kydd, Alan vc57_irecords_extract iBRC45069342
Long eaton, Wensleydale Road SK43R 16/08/2025 1 adult Bryce, Marion vc57_irecords_extract iBRC44531247
sheffield SK38M 10/08/2025 1 adult Turner, Jan vc57_irecords_extract iBRC44538517
Allestree, Derby SK33P 18/07/2025 1 adult Plant, Stephen vc57_irecords_extract iBRC43583787
Findern, Derbyshire SK33A 04/07/2025 1 adult Hallam, Brian vc57_irecords_extract iBRC43089505
Midway, Derbys. SK32A 30/06/2025 1 adult Williams, Michael vc57_irecords_extract iBRC43042319
Matlock, Derbyshire SK26V 28/06/2025 1 adult Daniel Martin vc57_irecords_extract iBRC42801489
Belper, Derbyshire SK34N 24/06/2025 1 adult Newcombe, Dave vc57_irecords_extract iBRC43961480
High Leas Farm, Riber SK35D 02/11/2024 2 adult Thorpe, Steve vc57_irecords_extract iBRC40045443
Sandiacre Garden SK43T 02/11/2024 1 adult Milnes, Emily vc57_irecords_extract iBRC40274913
Belper, Derbyshire SK34N 30/10/2024 1 adult Newcombe, Dave vc57_irecords_extract iBRC39211455
Chaddesden, Derby SK33T 28/10/2024 1 adult roome, martin vc57_irecords_extract iBRC39793611
Havercroft Road SK38L 26/10/2024 1 adult Tait, Malcolm vc57_irecords_extract iBRC39001662
Chaddesden, Derby SK33T 25/10/2024 1 adult roome, martin vc57_irecords_extract iBRC39793564
Belper, Derbyshire SK34N 25/10/2024 1 adult Newcombe, Dave vc57_irecords_extract iBRC39211426
Sandiacre Garden SK43T 25/10/2024 1 adult Milnes, Emily vc57_irecords_extract iBRC40274994
Ladycroft Ave, Buxton SK07S 24/10/2024 2 adult Orridge, Steve vc57_irecords_extract iBRC39011771
Staveley Derbyshire SK47H 24/10/2024 2 adult Morris, Sid vc57_irecords_extract iBRC39001109
Sandiacre Garden SK43T 08/10/2024 1 adult Milnes, Emily vc57_irecords_extract iBRC41567960
Cote Heath Allotments, Buxton SK07R 06/10/2024 1 adult Steven Bell vc57_irecords_extract iBRC40549037
Belper, Derbyshire SK34N 31/08/2024 1 adult Newcombe, Dave vc57_irecords_extract iBRC38293149
Belper SK34N 26/08/2024 1 adult Evans, Dave vc57_irecords_extract iBRC38127731
Aston on Trent, near church SK42E 24/09/2023 1 adult Penson, Melanie vc57_irecords_extract iBRC33195669
The Mays, Malthouse Lane, Froggatt SK27N 16/09/2020 1 adult BARNACLE, Mr B.&.Mrs.K. Danes_2019-2021 310
Melbourne, Derbyshire SK32X 10/09/2020 1 adult Davison, Tony vc57_irecords_extract iBRC33559955
DRONFIELD WOODHOUSE SK37J 24/08/2017 1 adult Williamson, Andy vc57_irecords_extract iBRC45723019
DRONFIELD WOODHOUSE SK37J 10/06/2016 1 adult Williamson, Andy vc57_irecords_extract iBRC45714538
Melbourne, Derbyshire SK32X 02/11/2005 1 adult Davison, Tony vc57_irecords_extract iBRC33562255
Threepieces, Veron Lane, Kelstedge, Ashover SK36G 18/09/1982 1 Adult VC57 Derbyshire Recorder vc57_danes_bc_data LC000334001CP0OH

Scroll to Top