Western Thyme Plume
Merrifieldia tridactyla
Checklist Number45.032 [B&F: 1511]
Verification
Record requires retention of specimen until confirmed, and may require dissection. Consult with CMR if unsure
Classification
| Family: | Pterophoridae |
| Subfamily: | Pterophorinae |
| Genus: | Merrifieldia |
| Species: | tridactyla |
| Authority: | (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Endangered (proposed as a future Red Data Book species) on chalk downland in parts of south-western England and on the Burren. Not recorded in Hampshire or on the Isle of Wight to date. Wingspan 18-23 mm. Thoroughly confused in the past with M. leucodactyla from which separated only by microscopic examination of the antennae. Larva feeds on Wild Thyme.
