Aphomia sociella (Linnaeus, 1758), (bee moth)


30 Jan 2017 at OSGR: SU10 in South Hants, England

Record Summarylarvae in communal cocoons in bird nesting box formerly housing Tree Bumblebee nest
Found asLarva
Date30 January 2017
Associated organismBombus hypnorum
OS grid refOSGR: SU10
Lat/Lon50° 50’ N, 1° 50’ W
Vice CountySouth Hants, VC no: 11
CountryEngland

Notes:

Mass of communal tubular cocoons under the roof of the bird box, each containing a pale green caterpillar.

The bottom of the box contained a 2015 Blue Tit nest which, in 2016, housed a Tree Bumble-bee nest, but there is now no obvious sign of the latter.

The space between the nest and the cocoons was filled by a mass of cribrellate spider silk from the Noble False Widow (Steatoda nobilis) - a large female was found when the silk was removed.

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