Species Account

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Distribution

Summary Data

Season (Adult / Immature):

National Status: Nationally Scarce B

Local Status: Rare coastal resident.

Local Record: Grade 3 See here for explanation

Flight time: Mid Jun-mid Aug.

Forewing: 10-14mm.

Foodplant: Sandy grasses, such as Marram.

IMPORTANT - Please note that the maps and accounts are provisional, subject to change and further update. The whole dataset still needs to go through the final verification process and it is likely that a very small number of records will not satisfy the present requirements and there are other records that have not been formally submitted. The information is for guidance only.

Record breakdown:

	VC9	VC11	Region
Year first recorded	1885	1994	1885
Year last recorded	2003	2001	2003
Number of records	15	8	46
Number of individuals	21	13	68
Unique positions	11	4	30
Unique locations	10	3	26
Adult records	10	8	36
Immature records	0	0	0

For the region, we have a total of 46 records from 26 sites. Earliest record on file is in 1885.

Photos

Species Account

For further information refer UK Moths.

Davey, P., 2009: A species restricted to coastal sandhills in England, Wales and southern Scotland, the larva feeding nocturnally on marram (Ammophila arenaria) and fescues (Festuca spp.) hiding in the sand by day. In Dorset, the moth is frequent very locally amongst marram and rush-leaved fescue (Festuca juncifolia) growing on the sand dunes facing Studland Bay and frequent in similar habitat on the northern periphery of Hengistbury Head. The following record from Chesil Beach suggests that there was a colony there many years ago, indeed, small quantities of marram in the Ferrybridge area remain to the present day: Chesil Beach, (Dr F Haines), common amongst marram (N Richardson). A more recent record may be the result of dispersal at the end of June 2003: Portland, on 3 July 2003 (M Cade).

Marram, which is an important dune forming plant, is under pressure from human leisure pursuits on Chesil, Studland and Hengistbury Head. Some fencing has been erected to protect the marram on Studland, and such measures will doubtless be beneficial to this species: Studland, plentiful (Reverend E Bankes), Sandbanks, at one time common but rapidly being obliterated (W Parkinson Curtis), Brands Bay, at MV light on 6 July 1998 and Studland Heath, ten at MV light on 6 August 1998 (P Davey), Shell Bay, at MV light on 4 August 1979 (Dr P Sterling), 1 September 1991, 23 August 1992 (R McCormick), 14 August 1993 (N Binstead), six on 20 June 1996 (P Davey), 21 July 2001 (R Cook), Studland Bay, at MV light on 17 August 1997 (P Davey), Hengistbury Head, at MV light on 4 August 1994, two on 5 July 1997, five on 30 June 2001 (M Jeffes).

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