A local south-eastern and central southern England species, the larva feeding for two years within slender sallow (Salix spp.) stems up to 12 mm in diameter. For the first year there is little external evidence of the larva. However, by the second winter, a gall up to 25mm long forms from the bulbous thickening of the sallow stem. This internal activity often kills the stem above the gall. Mortality of larvae at this time is high as blue tits and related species target the galls and ichneumon flies often emerge from collected galls. It is a remarkable fact that moths are rarely seen or bred in odd years, so that galls tend only to be present in odd-even winters, eg. 2005-2006, 2007-2008 etc., and so the adult emerges between mid-June and mid-July in even years. The species was first discovered in Britain in 1926 near Southampton; several years later it was found at Lytchett Matravers (per W Parkinson Curtis manuscript).

In Dorset, the moth forms scattered and small colonies in grey willow (Salix cinerea) bushes that grow on well drained sandy or gravel soils in the south-east of the county. The following recent observation indicates the moth has also colonised a sallow-rich site at Alners Gorse in the Blackmore Vale, well away from its usual headquarters: ten sallow stems containing galls collected in February 2006 produced four longhorn beetles that emerged during April plus a single moth that emerged in late June (P Davey). Retention of good quantities of grey willow growing in open situations in known localities would assist with the conservation of this species in the county.

Recorded in 8 (20%) of 40 10k Squares.
First Recorded in 1929.
Last Recorded in 2006.
(Data up to end 2019)