General Remarks:
Widespread and common in Hertfordshire, but very local in most of Middlesex. T Larval workings have until recently been the most frequent and simple means of recording this moth, and many records are made by following in the wake of scrub clearance when tunnels are frequently found in the stumps of cut sallow trunks that have achieved a diameter of at least 6 centimetres. Regrettably, the cut ends containing the larvae are often burned - a practice that has no place in conservation management. Holes may also be spotted easily at the bases of sallow trunks when they have been widened by birds. Until recently, the main culprit was the Lesser-spotted Woodpeckers (Dendrocopus minor), but that bird has largely vanished from the area.

Hertfordshire Notes:
The line of the Stort Valley in the east of the map is very clear. In July 2020 a new pheromone lure was launched which has led to a number of new sightings in Hertfordshire, where most records are associated with damper areas, though not exclusively so. Use of the new lure in Middlesex, in particular, in gardens and other places that have established Sallow trees is likely to prove productive.

Middlesex Notes: The scarcity of sites for this moth in Middlesex his might reflect a lack of old Sallow trees or else it may reflect under-recording - the latter being most likely.

Recorded in 24 (59%) of 41 10k Squares. First Recorded in 1891. Last Recorded in 2023. Additional Stats

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