39.002 BF906  –  Parametriotidae – Blastodacna atra – Apple Pith Moth – (Haworth, 1828) Adult Micro:  CAT 2 – Can be confused with other species –       PDF Icon – click for General Verification Guidelines  |   PDF Icon – click for Specific Verification Guidelines
Green –  Rare / Uncommon / Scarce   
Taxonomy:   Micro   >>  Parametriotidae
Other Name/s: Apple-pith Moth
ID Difficulty:  amber  – care required in the identification process, as confusion with similar species is likely – quality photographs required.
Confusion Species:  Blastodacna hellerella
ID pointers: Similar to B. hellerella but darker and not having the “pied” appearance of B. hellerella. Two pairs of scale tufts above the dorsum and in the middle of the wing. Care needs to be taken to avoid confusion with dark B. hellerella.
Distribution:  (Last record: 15 August 2023 at Belper )  –  Local across the county. Found on apple in orchards and gardens.
General Comment: None
Flight Period: May /  June /  July /  August /  September –  On the wing May – September Moth Activity: Nocturnal   – and is attracted to light Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Dave Evans  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 2 October 2025 by RP ***
Wingspan: 10-13mm
Food Plant: Apple (Malus).
Last Recorded Year: 2023
Last Recorded By – Dave Evans
Last Recorded General Area – Belper

Selected Images:  Belper, Derbyshire – Dave Evans©



Distribution Map for Blastodacna atra

Found 9 records
    ↳ from 2026+
    ↳ 1 from 2020 - 2025
    ↳ 8 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 – Blastodacna atra

⚠️ 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: Blastodacna atra
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

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


First/Last Recorded Dates: Blastodacna atra
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: Blastodacna atra
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Blastodacna atra
AGR: 0%   |   Total % Change: 0%

Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Blastodacna atra
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Blastodacna atra
( 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 2020-2026.

Records Behind the Map and Charts - Blastodacna atra – 9 records available

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

Site NameTetradDateCountStageSource
BelperSK34N15/08/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Backgarden MarehaySK34Z18/06/20161adultvc57_irecords_extract
Backgarden MarehaySK34Z06/07/20131adultvc57_irecords_extract
Backgarden MarehaySK34Z09/09/20111adultvc57_irecords_extract
Bamford St,RipleySK34Z09/09/20111Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Backgarden MarehaySK34Z03/07/20111adultvc57_irecords_extract
Backgarden MarehaySK34Z02/06/20111adultvc57_irecords_extract
Backgarden MarehaySK34Z20/06/20101adultvc57_irecords_extract
Bristol Rd,IlkestonSK44R24/06/20081Adultvc57_danes_bc_data

Scroll to Top