Snettisham Carstone Quarry
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TF685348 | — | Unfavourable No Change | 10.97 | 2010-02-08 |
Geology & landscape
Mining / Industrial: Quarry
Description
Description Snettisham Carstone Quarry is the only known locality in Britain for the micro moth Nothris verbascella. Its host species, hoary mullein Verbascum pulverulentum, a plant of banks and waste places, is restricted to East Anglia, but is abundant on the old workings in the quarry. Larvae of the moth feed in a web on the underside of the leaves of hoary mullein from September until the following summer. Pupation occurs insitu, usually on the underside of the same leaf and adults appear in July.
Species mentioned
Show the 2 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status| English name search for this in other sites |
Latin name search with Google |
IUCN / Red List | Type | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hoary mullein | Verbascum pulverulentum | LC | herb | scrophulariaceae |
| no common name | Nothris verbascella | EN | moth | gelechiidae |
Insects to look out for
These moths, butterflies and beetles are known to feed on plants recorded at this site, and carry a notable UK conservation status — but a host-plant being present doesn't mean the insect has actually been recorded here. Treat this as "worth watching for," not a confirmed sighting.
| Species | Status | Via host-plant |
|---|---|---|
| Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata |
Vulnerable | Verbascum spp. |
Host-plant data: Cook et al. (2025), Traits data for the butterflies and macro-moths of Great Britain and Ireland, 2024, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology / Butterfly Conservation; and Padovani et al. (2020), Database of Insects and their Food Plants (DBIF), UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (both Open Government Licence). Contains data supplied by UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.