General comments:
Widespread and common resident.

Modern thought is that there may be two cryptic species involved here, one resident in the Thames Estuary and elsewhere with larvae feeding on Artemisia and the other being the well-known European pest species feeding on Maize Zea mays - the true 'corn borer'. However, as far as is known British moths do not appear to affect Maize at all. Up to the 1930s this species was known in Britain only as a very rare immigrant, but since then it has established itself in coastal areas. It was certainly established along the Essex side of the Thames Estuary by the late 1970s and it is a very common moth there today associated with Artemisia species. Since then it has become more or less ubiquitous. It is possible that the true "European Corn-borer" is not present in Britain; there is scope for some DNA bar-coding to be undertaken.

Recorded in 33 (80%) of 41 10k Squares. First Recorded in 1947. Last Recorded in 2023. Additional Stats

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