Basil-thyme Case-bearer (Coleophora tricolor)
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: | Coleophora tricolor |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | Walsingham, 1899 |
| 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.) Highly restricted distribution. Occurs on a single host plant which requires regular ground disturbance to maintain populations. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Targeted action to increase populations of the host plant Basil Thyme are necessary to conserve the moth. |
| 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: | Yes |
| Justification: | The foodplant benefits from creation of early successional habitat by soil disturbance. Although the moth has a very restricted distribution, it is likely to be able to disperse to new habitat that is close to existing populations. |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 7. Best approach adopted at appropriate scales |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Medium-high |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Opportunistic - insufficient |
| Species Comments: |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: Conservation of the moth requires regular ground disturbance, which promotes establishment of the larval host plant Basil Thyme. Ensure all known sites are managed on rotation, ideally with a part of each site being managed annually. Seek opportunities to introduce similar management at additional sites with records of Basil Thyme.
Action targets: 7. Best approach adopted at appropriate scales
Action type: Habitat management
Duration: >10 years
Scale of Implementation: National
High priority sites: Any Breckland sites with records of the host plant Basil Thyme.
Comments:
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: Larval surveys at all known sites every 3-5 years; also survey any additional sites within the Brecks that support populations of the host plant Basil Thyme.
Action targets: 2. Biological status assessment exists
Action type: Status survey/review
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: National
High priority sites: Any Breckland sites with records of the host plant Basil Thyme.
Comments:
Key Action 3
Proposed Action: At some sites this species is present alongside populations of breeding Stone Curlew which can restrict access for survey. Liaise with land owners to determine whether access to Stone Curlew plots is possible, and how this can be achieved without causing undue disturbance to the birds.
Action targets: 2. Biological status assessment exists
Action type: Status survey/review
Duration: 1 year
Scale of Implementation: National
High priority sites: Any Breckland sites with records of the host plant Basil Thyme
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.