Species Account

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Distribution

Summary Data

Season (Adult / Immature):

National Status: Migrant

Local Status: Abundant and widespread migrant/wanderer.

Local Record: Grade 1 See here for explanation

Flight time: Recorded all year, mainly May-Oct.

Forewing: 13-21mm.

Foodplant: Many plants.

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	VC8	VC3	VC11	Region
Year first recorded	1905	2000	2005	1970	1905
Year last recorded	2011	2003	2005	2011	2011
Number of records	10313	2	1	760	22152
Number of individuals	101858	27	2	2245	208264
Unique positions	638	1	1	42	1364
Unique locations	411	1	1	33	892
Adult records	10078	2	1	752	21666
Immature records	0	0	0	1	2

For the region, we have a total of 22152 records from 892 sites. Earliest record on file is in 1905.

Photos

Species Account

For further information refer UK Moths.

Davey, P., 2009: A regular and often abundant immigrant to southern Britain, less so further north, the polyphagous larva feeding on a wide range of herbaceous plants and vegetables. The moth is active by day and by night. In Dorset, the moth occurs everywhere and has been trapped in every month, although numbers vary greatly from year to year depending on the size and northward extent of immigration from north Africa into Europe during the spring months. Resident broods tend to become established from April onwards before dying out with the onset of winter frosts, however, the arrival of immigrants at any time of the year tends to blot out any underlying resident brood pattern. The following (mainly) light trap records are those where five hundred or more Silver Y moths have been observed on a single date: Scar Bank, two thousand on 8 June 1946, fantastic swarms on 4 August 1946 (A Russell), West Bexington, nine hundred on 4 August 1996, one thousand on 5 August 1996, two thousand five hundred on 13 August 1996, one thousand five hundred on 15 August 1996 (R Eden), Southwell, five hundred on 6 August 2003 (Dr J Clarke), Portland, fifteen hundred on 12 August 2003 (M Cade), Bulbarrow Hill, five hundred by day on 16 June 1996 (P Davey), Gaunts Common, five hundred on 3 September 1991, one thousand on 8 August 1996 (P Davey), Studland Heath, five hundred by day on 27 August 2003 (PAD), Durlston, five hundred by day on 25 June 2003 (P Davey), six hundred plus on 7 August 2003 (J McGill).

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