Species Account

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Distribution

Summary Data

Season (Adult / Immature):

National Status: Common

Local Status: Scarce and local resident.

Local Record: Grade 3 See here for explanation

Flight time: Mid May-Sep.

Forewing: 14-20mm.

Foodplant: Bees wax from hives.

Regional breakdown:

	VC61	VC62	VC63	VC64	VC65
Year first recorded	1998	2003	1995	1883	2006
Year last recorded	2014	2003	2014	2014	2013
Number of records	49	1	18	15	6
Number of individuals	42	1	18	16	6
Unique positions	24	1	10	11	1
Unique locations	24	1	10	11	1
Adult records	49	1	18	15	6
Immature records	0	0	0	0	0

For the county, we have a total of 89 records from 47 sites. First recorded in 1883.

Photos

Species Account

Beaumont, 2002:
VC61. Spurn, 21 & 22.7.1998 (BRS). NEW VICE-COUNTY RECORD.
VC63. Rossington, 20.7.1995, 13.9.2000 (RIH). NEW VICE-COUNTY RECORD.

Argus 50, pub. 2006: The increase in records of this inhabitant of hive bee nests and combs has continued. Inquiries made of Yorkshire beekeepers by Colin Howes (Doncaster Museum) has revealed that the moth first appeared during the late 1990's and has become more frequent during the past two or three years, which mirrors the increase in light trap records over the same period. Records from beekeepers are concentrated in the south and east of the county.

Argus 52, 2006:
VC65. Hutton Conyers, 16 & 25.9.2006 (CHF). NEW VICE-COUNTY RECORD.

Current status (HEB, 2011): Porritt listed only an old record from Leeds (VC64). There were no further records until it occurred at Rossington (VC63) in 1995 and Spurn (VC61) in 1998. In recent years moths have been attracted to MV light quite widely; this has coincided with reports from Yorkshire beekeepers of infestations of this moth in their hives for the first time.

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

Yorkshire Moths
A guide to the moths of VC61-65