ABH: 36.002

Status:  Unknown

Distribution/Abundance:  Rare

Primary Habitat:  Woodland

Wingspan:  12mm

Flight Period:  June - July

Observations:  Larvae feed on the needles of Norway Spruce.

NB: It has recently been confirmed that there is a cryptic species, B. confusella, resident in the UK. Recent DNA barcoding (Berggren et al, ZooKeys 1085, 2022), followed by dissection of retained specimens has shown that B. confusella exists in several Vice Counties, including nearby Herts, Bucks, and further north in Notts (Hall, Plant; Ent. Rec. J. Var., 134, p53), and has helped to highlight the differential biology of the two species, with B. pinicolella being associated with Norway Spruce, and B. confusella with Scots Pine (some texts list both plants as larval pabulum for B. pinicolella). Given the known distribution as stated above, it seems highly likely that B. confusella is extant in VC32.

Confusion Species:  B. confusella

L.O.N.:  N/A

First Record:  1998, RIS