Species Account

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Distribution

 
 

Summary Data

Season (Adult / Immature):

National Status: Local

Local Status: Rare and very local resident.

Local Record: Grade G   See here for explanation

Flight time: One generation, Aug-Sep.

Forewing: 14-16mm.

Foodplant: Grasses.

Regional breakdown:

 VC61VC64
Year first recorded19231983
Year last recorded20122013
Number of records3754
Number of individuals6074
Unique positions73
Unique locations93
Adult records3754
Immature records00

For the county, we have a total of 379 records from 12 sites. First recorded in 1923.
 

Photos

2358 Saltern Ear 01
© John William Cooper

Species Account

Sutton & Beaumont, 1989: There is only one recent record of this species away from its main Yorkshire locality at Spurn.

2012 (CHF): This species is common at Spurn and can often be distinguished by its more olivaceous tones rather than the red-brown colouration of the other three species. It occurs on the north bank of the Tees and almost certainly occurs on the VC62 side but this has not yet been proven. We have several genuine inland records and the colour of these specimens is red-brown unlike those at Spurn. The situation is compounded by the similarity of the genitalia of both males and females to those of Large Ear and great caution should be used when separating the two, especially females. In Scotland where both species occur, hybrid forms appear, and it looks as if this is the case in Yorkshire as some inland moths have genitalia which are less easy to separate from Large Ear.
 

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