Species Account

Select species and region:

Distribution

Summary Data

Season (Adult / Immature):

National Status: Local

Local Status: Scarce and local resident.

Local Record: Grade 2 See here for explanation

Flight time: One generation, Apr-Jun.

Forewing: 19-23mm.

Foodplant: Scentless Mayweed, chamomiles and Feverfew.

Regional breakdown:

	VC61	VC62	VC63	VC64	VC65
Year first recorded	1883	1901	1883	1877	1962
Year last recorded	2014	2014	2014	2014	2014
Number of records	284	51	66	42	17
Number of individuals	318	37	47	28	17
Unique positions	46	22	37	30	4
Unique locations	50	21	36	31	4
Adult records	272	42	44	20	15
Immature records	5	3	4	7	2

For the county, we have a total of 460 records from 142 sites. First recorded in 1877.

Photos

Species Account

Sutton & Beaumont, 1989: This species seems to have become more frequent since the 1970s, especially in the south and east of the County. The foodplants, mayweeds and chamomile are common weeds in some crops on sandy soils, especially brassicae, sugar beet and oilseed rape. This last crop has been planted much more extensively since 1970, which could have affected the frequency of the foodplant and hence the moth (PQW pers. comm.).

Argus 47, 2001-04:
VC65. Hutton Conyers, 11.5.2001 then eight subsequent records to 2003 (CHF). NEW VICE-COUNTY RECORD.

2012 (CHF): Numbers have declined since 2004 though there has been an expansion of the range up to Teesside in the north east. Arable field margins are not popular places to site moth traps and there would be a lot more records if this sort of habitat was targeted. Apparently doing better to the north of us and has been lost from areas of central England. Do not confuse this species with the larger Shark which flies later.

See background to species accounts. Index of Vernacular names - Search - Random Species

Yorkshire Moths
A guide to the moths of VC61-65