Photo © Jon Millo

Coleophora violacea

Checklist Number
37.026 [B&F: 0509]

Verification
Record requires retention of specimen until confirmed, and may require dissection. Consult with CMR if unsure

Classification

Family:Coleophoridae
Subfamily:Coleophorinae
Genus:Coleophora
Species:violacea
Authority:(Ström, 1783)

Nationally scarce (Nb) in open woodland, parks and scrubland throughout much of Britain, except for the far north of Scotland and the Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland. In Hampshire apparently rather scarce, typical finds being of single cases or single moths at light; an empty case was found on the Isle of Wight in 1995. Like many of the Coleophora, imagines are virtually impossible to identify without recourse to dissection, and the fact that the larva of this species is highly polyphagous means that cases are difficult to find. Wingspan 9-11 mm. Larva mines leaves of deciduous trees and shrubs, living within a movable case. The case is very similar to that of C. potentillae.

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)

VC10 Isle of Wight

Site Date Quantity Recorder Stage
Hamstead (SZ49)10/06/1995oneDavid BiggsMine (vacated)

VC11 South Hampshire

Site Date Quantity Recorder Stage
Havant Thicket (SU71)21/10/1979twoJ R Langmaid, D H SterlingCase
Havant Thicket (SU71)18/10/1980-J R Langmaid, D H SterlingCase
West Walk, Wickham (SU51)25/07/1982oneJ R LangmaidCase
Emer Bog NR (SU32)03/10/1982-J R Langmaid, D H SterlingCase
Botley Wood (SU50)26/08/1985twoJ R Langmaid, D H SterlingCase
Emer Bog NR (SU32)18/10/1986oneJ R Langmaid, D H SterlingCase
West Wood, Sparsholt (SU42)18/10/1986oneJ R Langmaid, D H SterlingCase
Havant Thicket (SU71)26/10/1986oneJ R Langmaid, D H SterlingCase
Botley Wood (SU50)10/09/1987oneJ R Langmaid, D H SterlingCase
Botley Wood (SU51)17/09/1994oneJ R Langmaid, R J B HoareCase
Havant Thicket (SU71)23/06/1998oneRichard J DicksonAdult
Broughton Down (SU23)16/05/2000oneTony DobsonAdult
Botley Wood (SU50)15/10/2012oneRichard J DicksonLarval
Romsey (SU32)26/05/2023oneNigel R JonesAdult
Romsey (SU32)27/05/2023oneNigel R JonesAdult
Romsey (SU32)30/05/2023twoNigel R JonesAdult
Romsey (SU32)01/06/2023-Nigel R JonesAdult

VC12 North Hampshire

Site Date Quantity Recorder Stage
Yateley Common (SU85)23/09/1994oneJ R Langmaid, A M DavisCase
Cowdown Copse (SU55)18/06/1999-David G GreenAdult
Yateley Heath (SU85)14/06/2003oneRob EdmundsLarval
Fleet (SU85)13/06/2004-Rob EdmundsMine
Fleet (SU85)16/09/2005oneRob EdmundsLarval
Minley Wood (SU85)26/09/2022threeBen DaleMine