Hantsmoths

Recorded infrequently through accidental importation in bananas from Central and South America, most likely to be found in the larval form in fruit from greengrocers and supermarkets, first recorded in Britain in Hertfordshire in July 1977. The first county record was of one reared from a pupa on a banana in Brockenhurst, 1974 (previously referred to 2074a Antichloris eriphia). Two further records have been accepted, in Winchester in 2001 and from Fyffes warehouse in Basingstoke in 2003; another bred from a banana by the author in 2014 probably originated from the same place. Two records from the Isle of Wight have not been determined and may relate to this species or the closely related eriphia: it is necessary to breed any larvae found on imported bananas to correctly identify Antichloris sp. In its native range, the larva feeds on Banana, causing economically-important damage at times.

Updated November 2019: status review.

VC10 Isle of Wight

VC11 South Hampshire

VC12 North Hampshire