Species Account

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Distribution

Summary Data

Season (Adult / Immature):

National Status: Local

Local Status: Uncommon and restricted resident.

Local Record: Grade 2 See here for explanation

Flight time: One generation, Jun-Jul.

Forewing: M 19-22mm. F 17-20mm.

Foodplant: Herbaceous plants and heathers.

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	1970	1984	1970
Year last recorded	2011	2010	2011
Number of records	176	13	378
Number of individuals	346	25	742
Unique positions	95	6	202
Unique locations	74	5	158
Adult records	163	13	352
Immature records	1	0	2

For the region, we have a total of 378 records from 158 sites. Earliest record on file is in 1970.

Photos

Species Account

For further information refer UK Moths.

Davey, P., 2009: A widespread species in Britain, the larva feeding both on heather (Calluna vulgaris) and a range of herbaceous plant species. In Dorset, the moth occupies two distinct biotypes. The preferred habitat is damp heathland where it is common locally. A secondary habitat is unimproved grassland on the Purbeck Ridge where it occurs very locally an at low density: West Hill, two walked up from grassland by day on 3 July 1998 (P Davey), Woolgarston, twenty at light trap between 1991 and 1995 (R Burt). It is occasionally recorded from light traps in Swanage too. An albinistic male lacking the crimson suffusion of the forewings and with the dark clouding on the hindwings very faint, was trapped at Scar Bank in 1948 by A Russell. The following example was trapped on a late date coinciding with south-easterly airflows from the Continent: West Bexington, at MV light on 17 August 2002 (R Eden). Other examples of dispersal include the following light trap records: Gillingham, on 7 June 1996 (G Hopkins), Gaunts Common, on 11 June 1997 (P Davey), West Blagdon, on 28 June 2004 (D Green).

Hill, L., 2014: Portland Bird Observatory records: 6 July 1983, 9 July 1986, 22 June 1992, 31 May 2014, 8 June 2014 and 12 June 2014 (M Cade).

Last updated: 18 June 2014

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