Photo © Iain Outlaw

Barea asbolaea

Checklist Number
28.028 [B&F: 0656a]

Verification
Record will require further evidence, at least a good photograph, unless CMR is aware recorder has confidence in identification

Classification

Family:Oecophoridae
Subfamily:Oecophorinae
Genus:Barea
Species:asbolaea
Authority:(Meyrick, 1883)

Naturalised through accidental introduction in garden plants, south-western England. In 2006, a moth trap operated at a garden near Buryas Bridge, Cornwall, revealed an unfamiliar Oecophoridae species that was quite unfamiliar. The moth remained a mystery for some while, but in 2008 large numbers were caught in a Penzance trap and small numbers were also caught at Crows an Wra, four miles to the west. With the help of a number of experts in Britain and abroad, identification via dissection was confirmed. Subsequently a photograph has been traced of the moth in 2004; this appears to be the earliest recorded example. It has been recorded in some numbers at the original site annually since. The particular origins of British specimens may be a local garden and nursery where antipodean plants have been imported since the late 1800s.

In July 2014 Iain Outlaw trapped a mystery oecophorid in Parkhurst Forest, Isle of Wight. In order to confirm the species it was necessary to gen. det. a male specimen to compare with the reference specimen in BMNH; however, all examples retained each year were female, until finally in July 2017 two males were collected and proved to be this species. It seems to be well established in the area, and has possibly only recently arrived, with 2014 seeing one, 2015 two, 2016 five and a big jump to 26 in 2017.

The abundance in each month is indicated as follows:

No records
Very occasional
Irregular
Uncommon
Off-peak, but not unusual
Off-peak, but not unusual
Main flight time
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Adult
Larval

Records by week (adult)

Records by week (larval)

No Larval records to show.

VC10 Isle of Wight

Site Date Quantity Recorder Stage
Parkhurst Forest (SZ49)05/07/2014oneIain OutlawAdult
Parkhurst Forest (SZ49)09/07/2015oneIain OutlawAdult
Parkhurst Forest (SZ49)07/08/2015oneStephen PlummerAdult
Parkhurst Forest (SZ49)30/06/2016fiveIain OutlawAdult
Parkhurst Forest (SZ49)01/06/201715Iain OutlawAdult
Parkhurst Forest (SZ49)07/07/201712Iain OutlawAdult
Parkhurst Forest (SZ49)20/05/2018fourIain OutlawAdult
Parkhurst Forest (SZ49)07/07/2018fiveIain OutlawAdult
Parkhurst Forest (SZ49)14/07/2018sixIain OutlawAdult
Parkhurst Forest (SZ49)20/05/2019oneIain OutlawAdult
Parkhurst Forest (SZ49)28/06/201920Iain OutlawAdult
Parkhurst Forest (SZ49)29/06/2020sixIain OutlawAdult
Parkhurst Forest (SZ49)28/07/2020oneIain OutlawAdult
Parkhurst Forest (SZ49)03/08/2021oneIain OutlawAdult
Parkhurst Forest (SZ49)26/05/2022sevenIain OutlawAdult
Parkhurst Forest (SZ49)02/07/2022oneIain OutlawAdult