45.033 BF1510  –  Pterophoridae –  Pterophorinae – Merrifieldia leucodactyla – Thyme Plume – (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) Adult Micro:  CAT 2 – Can be confused with other species –       PDF Icon – click for General Verification Guidelines  |   PDF Icon – click for Specific Verification Guidelines
Black – Uncertain/Unknown – Insufficient Data   
Taxonomy:   Micro   >>  Pterophoridae  >> Pterophorinae
** This moth species page is currently incomplete **
Other Name/s: Pterophorus tridactyla
ID Difficulty:  amber  – care required in the identification process, as confusion with similar species is likely – quality photographs required.
Confusion Species:  Merrifieldia baliodactylus (Dingy White Plume)
Distribution:  (Last record: 26 June 2021 at Deep Dale )  –  Uncertain but likely to be under recorded – Harrison & Sterling described this species to be fairly common in the dales where Thyme grows. Modern day records are 2010 Biggin Dale, 2011 Bonsall Moor and Deep Dale 26/6/2021.
General Comment: None
Flight Period: June /  July /  August –  One generation June – August flies at night Moth Activity: Nocturnal   – and is attracted to light Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Stephen Moores  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 2 October 2025 by RP ***
Wingspan: 21mm
Food Plant: Thyme
Last Recorded Year: 2021
Last Recorded By – Stephen Moores
Last Recorded General Area – Deep Dale

Selected Images:  

Deep Dale (2021) Stephen Moores©



Distribution Map for Merrifieldia leucodactyla

Found 4 records
    ↳ from 2026+
    ↳ 1 from 2020 - 2025
    ↳ 3 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 – Merrifieldia leucodactyla

⚠️ 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: Merrifieldia leucodactyla
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

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


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

Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Merrifieldia leucodactyla
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Merrifieldia leucodactyla
( 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 - Merrifieldia leucodactyla – 4 records available

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

Site NameTetradDateCountStageSource
Deep Dale and Topley Pike Nature ReserveSK07V26/06/20211Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Bonsall Moor,Bonsall,CromfordSK25T10/07/20111Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Biggin DaleSK15P06/07/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Burton on Trent area (site not precise)SK22K11/02/19051Adultvc57_danes_bc_data

Scroll to Top