Argyresthia cupressella

Wingspan 8 to 9 mm. Avery small moth with a patterning of mottled oranges and white.

Around Cypress and Juniper.

In Britain the adults are on the wing in June and July.

The larvae feed on Cypress and Juniper, feeding internally on the leaves and young shoots. In spring affected shoots turn brown and are quite noticeable.

Originating from North America, this adventive species has evidently been introduced with its foodplants, and was first found in the British Isles in Suffolk in 1997. Like several other micro lepidoptera feeding on ornamental conifers, it is expanding its range quite dramatically. In the Butterfly Conservation’s Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local.

Occasional or little recorded in Leicestershire & Rutland. L&R Moth Group status = C (very scarce resident or rare migrant).