Mistletoe Marble (Celypha woodiana)
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Invertebrate > insect - moth > Moth |
| Red List Status: | (Not Relevant) [(not listed)(nr)] |
| D5 Status: | |
| Section 41 Status: | (not listed) |
| Taxa Included Synonym: | (none) |
| UKSI Recommended Name: | Celypha woodiana |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | (Barrett, 1882) |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | (not listed) |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | (none) |
Criteria
| Question 1: | Does species need conservation or recovery in England? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | (No GB Red List for micro-moths.) Restricted distribution, more restricted than the host plant Mistletoe, and generally only in low-lying areas (vales & grazing levels). Appears to have suffered some historic loss of range. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | At risk from loss of traditional orchards. Needs raised awareness of importance of retaining Mistletoe. |
| Question 3: | At a landscape scale, would the species benefit from untargeted habitat management to increase habitat mosaics, structural diversity, or particular successional stages? |
| Response: | No |
| Justification: | This species would not benefit from untargeted management |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 6. Recovery solutions trialled |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Medium-high |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Opportunistic - insufficient |
| Species Comments: | Medium recovery potential. Limited to low altitudes and considered unlikely to expand significantly beyond current range, but existing populations would benefit from measures to increase the amount of Mistletoe in the landscape. |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: The moth is threatened by loss of traditional orchards and the removal of Mistletoe from orchard trees. Raise awareness of the importance of retaining orchards with Mistletoe for the conservation of this species and other Mistletoe-dependent insects.
Action targets: 7. Best approach adopted at appropriate scales
Action type: Education/awareness raising
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: National
High priority sites:
Comments:
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: Recovery of this species depends on the establishment of new orchards which are then managed sympathetically, to allow Mistletoe to thrive. Investigate time needed for colonisation by Mistletoe, and then C. woodiana, at recently-planted orchards of known age, e.g. at National Trust sites.
Action targets: 6. Recovery solutions trialled
Action type: Scientific research
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 20 sites
High priority sites:
Comments: Needs to be undertaken at sites within the known distribution of the moth.
Key Action 3
Proposed Action: The moth is not well recorded: adults are not often recorded at light traps and larval leaf-mines usually occur at low density. Survey additional sites with Mistletoe within/close to the known distribution of the moth to assess distribution and understand more of habitat requirements. Also ensure known sites are surveyed for larval leaf-mines every 3-5 years to maintain up to date status information.
Action targets: 2. Biological status assessment exists
Action type: Status survey/review
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: National
High priority sites:
Comments:
Acknowledgment:
Data used on this website are adapted from Threatened species recovery actions 2025 baseline (JP065): Technical report and spreadsheet user guide (Natural England, 2025). Available here.