63.008 BF1363  –  Crambidae –  Pyraustinae – Pyrausta ostrinalis – Scarce Purple & Gold – (Hübner, 1796) Adult Micro:  CAT 3 – Very Rare/Scarce/Migrant/Adventive – confusion with leaf mines       PDF Icon – click for General Verification Guidelines  |   PDF Icon – click for Specific Verification Guidelines
Black – Uncertain/Unknown – Insufficient Data        day-flying – Day-flying
Taxonomy:   Micro   >>  Crambidae  >> Pyraustinae
** This species needs reconsideration on the county list / **
ID Difficulty:  Red – difficult to identify – detailed examination required, often a Gen Det and/or specimen and quality photographs are required.
Confusion Species: Pyrausta aurata; Pyrausta purpuralis;
ID pointers: Very similar to Pyrausta purpuralis but ostrinalis has a narrower forewing and the yellow markings are paler. There are slight differences in the underside wing pattern. The distribution and life history of this moth are incompletely known, but are considered to be similar to that species, although scarcer.
Distribution:  Nationally Scarce B – Only data comes from Harrison & Sterling stating “Peak District” c. prior to 1905. – No further records to 2024. I think it is doubtful this species has been 100% identified in the recording area/Derbyshire, but maybe under-recorded due to ID confusion.
Flight Period: May /  June /  July /  August /  –  Possibly two generations Moth Activity: Cathemeral  – Possibly attracted to light Photographed: No –  Photographed By: Not Recorded
*** Last updated on 7 May 2025 by RP ***
Wingspan: 15-21mm
Food Plant: Thyme
Last Recorded By – Not Recorded
Last Recorded General Area – Not Recorded

IMAGES BELOW:  

no images were found

Distribution Map for Pyrausta ostrinalis

No records found

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 – Pyrausta ostrinalis

⚠️ 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: Pyrausta ostrinalis
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
No data returned from the database.

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


First/Last Recorded Dates: Pyrausta ostrinalis
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: Pyrausta ostrinalis
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Pyrausta ostrinalis
AGR: 0%   |   Total % Change: 0%
Pyrausta ostrinalis
Insufficient records/data for an AGR analysis
Years Analysed: 2000 – 2025
Pyrausta ostrinalis
Insufficient records/data for a CUSUM analysis
Years Analysed: 2000 – 2025

Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Pyrausta ostrinalis
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Pyrausta ostrinalis
( 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 - Pyrausta ostrinalis – 0 records available

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

No records found for Pyrausta ostrinalis.

Scroll to Top