Yorkshire Status: Very Rare.

One of the highlights of 2017 was the discovery of an old record from 1993 of larvae of this species on seed heads of nettle-leaved bellflower at Anston Stones Wood in the south of VC63. The adult was bred out to confirm the identification and the specimen was kept. Full marks to the finder as this is a rare species and this is the most northerly record on the UK mainland. It is very local in the UK with scattered records as far north as Lincolnshire and old records on the Isle of Man. It is likely to be under-recorded, being easily mistaken for several other Pug species. Its scientific name denotata means “distinct” which it clearly isn’t! It probably means “distinct from similar-looking species”. It flies in July and is most easily confused with Wormwood Pug or perhaps Pimpinel Pug though these two species both show a sub-basal band on the abdomen which is absent in Campanula Pug. It should be looked for in woodland edges and rides particularly in calcareous areas, but it only occasionally comes to light so is probably most easily found as a larva. Larvae may feed on several species of Campanula including garden varieties but are most common on nettle-leaved and giant bellflower in August and September. In the early stages they can feed on the flowers but are more commonly found later on feeding on unripe seeds or seed capsules. Gathering these in the autumn can be successful though care should be taken to avoid mould and desiccation when over-wintering the larvae. It is highly likely that it is still lurking in the south of VC63, waiting to be rediscovered.

	Determination by Genitalia Examination (gen. det.) Required

Recorded in 1 (1%) of 200 10k Squares.
First Recorded in 1993.
Last Recorded in 1993.
Additional Stats