Species Account
Distribution
Summary Data
Season (Adult / Immature):
|
National Status: Nationally Scarce A Local Status: Scarce and mainly coastal resident. Local Record: Grade 3 See here for explanation Flight time: Jun-Sep. Forewing: 12-14mm Foodplant: Viper's-bugloss. |
Record breakdown:
VC9 | Region | |
---|---|---|
Year first recorded | 1883 | 1883 |
Year last recorded | 2008 | 2008 |
Number of records | 47 | 94 |
Number of individuals | 77 | 154 |
Unique positions | 30 | 60 |
Unique locations | 24 | 48 |
Adult records | 37 | 74 |
Immature records | 4 | 8 |
For the region, we have a total of 94 records from 48 sites. Earliest record on file is in 1883.
Photos
Species Account
For further information refer UK Moths.
Davey, P., 2009: A rare species, confined mainly to vegetated shingle beaches and sandhills in southern and eastern England, the larva feeding on viper's bugloss (Echium vulgare). In Dorset, the species is local and confined to Portland, the Purbeck coast and in one site on the shores of Poole Harbour; viper’s bugloss is frequent in all these places. The plant also occurs on sandy soils in the Poole Basin, but the moth has yet to be found in this biotype. A robust colony exists at Holton Heath Marsh, where tracks around the periphery of an old munitions dump support small stocks of the foodplant.
This species should be included in conservation agency management plans for coastal chalky grassland sites containing viper’s bugloss, and in Natural England’s management plans for Holton Heath Marsh.
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