Species Account

Select species and region:

Distribution

Summary Data

Season (Adult / Immature):

National Status: Local

Local Status: Scarce and local resident.

Local Record: Grade 3 See here for explanation

Flight time: One generation, Jul-Aug

Forewing: 14-15mm.

Foodplant: Wood Small-reed. other grasses.

Regional breakdown:

	VC61	VC62	VC63	VC64	VC65
Year first recorded	1964	1975	1971	1905	1975
Year last recorded	2014	2014	2014	2014	2014
Number of records	210	102	67	378	42
Number of individuals	48	156	74	670	90
Unique positions	32	40	33	108	12
Unique locations	32	38	31	108	12
Adult records	208	98	64	361	42
Immature records	0	2	0	0	0

For the county, we have a total of 799 records from 221 sites. First recorded in 1905.

Photos

Species Account

Similar species: Gold Spot.

Sutton & Beaumont, 1989: Only relatively recently added to the County list, this species appears to be rather local but recorded from widely scattered areas. It may well be much more frequent than it appears since it is very difficult to distinguish from P. festucae (Linnaeus). However, there are at least four areas where all the Gold Spots which have been checked have proved to be festucae (Spurn, Sheffield, West Melton and Denaby lngs). This would indicate that it is definitely local to some extent. Although a larval foodplant is not given by Lorimer (MBGBI 10) or Skinner (1984), larvae have recently been discovered openly feeding on purple small-reed (J. Fenn per MRB). It might well be worthwhile to search for larvae on this foodplant at suitable sites in Yorkshire.

2012 (CHF): Much less common in the county than Gold Spot and univoltine (unlike Gold Spot) flying mostly in July and August. Rare in the south and east but commoner on the higher ground in the north and west. See Gold Spot for information on separating these two species. Whilst identification is fairly straight forward in most cases, some individuals need dissection in order to be sure.

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

Yorkshire Moths
A guide to the moths of VC61-65