Species Account

Select species and region:

Distribution

Summary Data

Season (Adult / Immature):

National Status: Common

Local Status: Fairly common and thinly distributed and restricted resident.

Local Record: Grade 1 See here for explanation

Flight time: One generation, May-Jul.

Forewing: 16-19mm.

Foodplant: Grasses.

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	1955	1975	1955
Year last recorded	2011	2011	2011
Number of records	838	41	1758
Number of individuals	1504	84	3176
Unique positions	118	8	252
Unique locations	98	7	210
Adult records	730	41	1542
Immature records	0	0	0

For the region, we have a total of 1758 records from 210 sites. Earliest record on file is in 1955.

Photos

Species Account

For further information refer UK Moths.

Davey, P., 2009: A species of grassland, more frequent in the east of Britain that the west, the larva feeding on various soft-bladed grass species. In Dorset, the moth is common on undercliff grassland on Portland and locally frequent on unimproved grassland on chalky soils throughout. The moth is also frequent in garden habitat in Poole. In all these situations the host plants are likely to be common couch (Elytrigia repens) and cock's-foot (Dactylis glomerata). Elsewhere, the moth is rare and is virtually absent from heathland and core woodland. The species has evidently declined on Purbeck and on Portland due to the overall improvement and loss of coastal grassland; its status historically was assessed as abundant in both regions. An unusually dark melanistic specimen, possibly ab. unicolor, was trapped at Scar Bank by A Russell.

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