Cornish Biodiversity Network - Supporting Wildlife Recording
The descriptive text, below the map, is from the Cornish Red Data Book (2009). The map on this web page depicts the organisms distribution and shows the records made pre-2000 and those made since.
Range & Status
Widely distributed in warm temperate regions, e.g. south-western Europe, the Canaries, California and South Africa (Pelham-Clinton, 1985). In Britain generally confined to warehouses and cellars (where it is continuously brooded) except on the Isles of Scilly.
Regional Distribution
Common on the Isles of Scilly on St. Mary' s, Tresco, St. Martin' s and St. Agnes, the
only place in Britain where it is found in the open and also under the bark of Pittosporum bushes. (It is also found in the open on the Channel Islands).
Habitat & Ecology
Feeds as a larva in the open on dry vegetable matter (Emmet, 1991) and under the
bark on Pittosporum crassifolium (Heckford, 1987), which has been widely planted on the islands as a windbreak. The adults fly from July to September. Little is known about its ecology.
Threats
None known.
Conservation
None.
I.J. Bennallick, S. Board, C.N. French, P.A. Gainey, C. Neil, R. Parslow, A. Spalding and P.E. Tompsett. eds. 2009. Red Data Book for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. 2nd Edition.Croceago Press.
The Cornish Red Data Book Project was led by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Federation for Biological Recorders (CISFBR). The full text and species accounts (minus the maps) are available on the CISFBR website.