Species Account

Select species and region:

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

Yorkshire Moths
A guide to the moths of VC61-65