Notocelia trimaculana

Wingspan 15-17 mm. Another of the very similar Epiblema species, the distinctive tawny markings towards the outer part of the forewing help to identify this moth.

ALERT: It has been highlighted very recently that the identification of Notocelia trimaculana and Notocelia rosaecolana on external characters alone may be unreliable. Virtually all recent literature, including the popular Field Guide to Micro Moths [Sterling/Parsons/Lewington] and Bird-dropping Tortrix Moths [Clifton/Wheeler] give characters to separate them, and it may well be that very fresh and well-marked individuals will be correctly identified, however there is sufficient doubt that a review is necessary. For now please continue to record these species as N. trimaculana or N. rosaecolana (any aggregation can be done subsequently). Please save good examples for gen det. and ideally photograph these beforehand.

Various habitats, especially in areas of Hawthorn

Flight time for the adult moths is June and July, and the species is mainly nocturnal.

Hawthorn is the larval foodplant

The moth occurs quite commonly over most of Britain. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common.

Fairly common in Leicestershire and Rutland. L&R Moth Group status = A (common and resident)