Species Account

Select species and region:

Distribution

Summary Data

Season (Adult / Immature):

National Status: Nb

Local Status: Scarce and restricted resident.

Local Record: Grade 3 See here for explanation

Flight time: Jun-Jul.

Forewing: 11-13mm.

Foodplant: Oak and beech.

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	1956	1983	1956
Year last recorded	2011	2011	2011
Number of records	417	76	986
Number of individuals	743	161	1808
Unique positions	140	18	316
Unique locations	110	15	250
Adult records	406	73	958
Immature records	0	0	0

For the region, we have a total of 986 records from 250 sites. Earliest record on file is in 1956.

Photos

Species Account

For further information refer UK Moths.

Davey, P., 2009: A local species confined to southern England, the larva feeding on oak (Quercus spp.) or beech (Fagus sylvatica). In Dorset, the moth is locally common and found in oak and beech woods in the eastern half of the county, being most often seen in mature oak woodland and on the stunted oaks growing on sandy soils, but less so on chalky soils. However, the species seems to be responding positively to the warming trend with increasing numbers across an increasing range. For example, Piddles Wood near Sturminster Newton in north Dorset lies many miles distant from the moths original county headquarters, but now hosts a strong colony. An instance of potential dispersal occurred on 2 July 1999 when eleven adults were trapped at Gaunt's Common (P Davey), a locality several miles from suitable habitat and where one other Festoon had been observed in eight years of recording. Examples of day-time activity include "a freshly emerged female with twenty-five males assembled to her in as many minutes in the morning in garden at Haymoor Bottom" (W Parkinson Curtis), and a female on an oak bough with five males assembled to her in the middle of the afternoon at Purewell Meadows on 5 July 2003 (P Davey).

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