Species Account
Distribution
Summary Data
Season (Adult / Immature):
|
National Status: Common Local Status: Abundant and widespread resident. Local Record: Grade 1 See here for explanation Flight time: One generation, Jun-Nov. Forewing: 21-26mm. Foodplant: Herbaceous plants and grasses. |
Regional breakdown:
VC61 | VC62 | VC63 | VC64 | VC65 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year first recorded | 1926 | 1930 | 1846 | 1886 | 1940 |
Year last recorded | 2014 | 2014 | 2014 | 2014 | 2014 |
Number of records | 21938 | 7658 | 9459 | 12215 | 2127 |
Number of individuals | 385812 | 149883 | 113814 | 287120 | 69039 |
Unique positions | 301 | 351 | 425 | 494 | 107 |
Unique locations | 277 | 319 | 411 | 485 | 104 |
Adult records | 21798 | 7525 | 9206 | 11718 | 2099 |
Immature records | 47 | 6 | 17 | 2 | 4 |
For the county, we have a total of 53397 records from 1596 sites. First recorded in 1846.
Photos
Species Account
Sutton & Beaumont, 1989: Undoubtedly the most numerous and widespread species in the list so far!' (PQW). This is one of the commonest moths in August, often abundant throughout all five vice-counties and often a nuisance in light traps. For example, on 16.8.1987, 1,852 moths of this species were trapped at MV light in one evening! (BRS) and W. Reid estimated a catch exceeding 3,500 individuals on several unusually productive nights in Sheffield in 1955 (Reid, 1955). This species exhibits a very wide range of colour forms but dark varieties are not particularly common.
2012 (CHF): Still the commonest species, widespread across the county in big numbers. Numbers in the autumn may be swollen by migration.
See background to species accounts. Index of Vernacular names - Search - Random Species