Merrifieldia baliodactylus larva – Narborough, Norfolk

I was up at the Narborough Railway Line NWT reserve last weekend looking for the larva of the plume Merrifieldia baliodactylus. The larva feeds  on Wild Marjoram and there is plenty of the foodplant growing on the chalk. The moth does not appear to have been recorded from Suffolk in the past but the foodplant does occur here. So if you come across any of the foodplant or know of any sites it may be worth checking them for this species.

The plants with larvae on are relatively easy to spot – just look for ones where the top has collapsed over and wilted and you will probably find a larva in the wilted shoot. They follow a similar habit to Capperia britanniodactylus by nipping the stem of the shoot they’re on to make it wilt.

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