Basil Thyme Case-bearer Coleophora tricolor
The Basil Thyme Case-bearer (Coleophora tricolor) is a small case-bearing micro-moth whose larvae feed on Basil Thyme (Clinopodium acinos), tying it intimately to one of the Breckland’s most characteristic and scarce plants. As both moth and foodplant are largely confined to open, disturbed calcareous and sandy ground in the Breckland of Suffolk and Norfolk, the county is of central importance to the species’ survival in Britain. The maintenance of open-ground conditions – through rabbit grazing, livestock management, and appropriate disturbance – that supports Basil Thyme populations is equally essential for this highly specific moth. Image: © Neil Sherman (Suffolk Moths).
Find out more: iNaturalist, Suffolk Moths, Suffolk LNRS information page
Suffolk’s Priority Moth Species
Key
Listed as a conservation priority in Suffolk’s Biodiversity Action Plan.
Closely associated with Suffolk’s landscape and natural identity.
Identified as a key priority for recovery under Suffolk’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
Has a Species of the Month article attached.
