Species Account

Select species and region:

Distribution

Summary Data

Season (Adult / Immature):

National Status: Vagrant/Accidental

Local Status: Very rare migrant.

Local Record: Grade 4 See here for explanation

Flight time: May, Sep-Nov.

Forewing: 16-21mm.

Foodplant: -

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	Region
Year first recorded	1995	1995
Year last recorded	2009	2009
Number of records	4	8
Number of individuals	5	10
Unique positions	3	6
Unique locations	3	6
Adult records	4	8
Immature records	0	0

For the region, we have a total of 8 records from 6 sites. Earliest record on file is in 1995.

Photos

Species Account

For further information refer UK Moths.

Davey, P., 2009: A rare immigrant species seen on twenty occasions in Britain, the first in Kent in 1870 and then not again until 1955. The moth is resident in the tropics and the sub-tropics, the larva feeding on various wild and cultivated herbaceous plants and vegetables, including tomato and soybean. In Dorset, six moths have been seen, all at light traps: Sherborne, on 25 September 1967 (C Gibson), West Bexington, on 26 October 1995, 13 October 2005 (R Eden), Durlston, two on 26 October 1995 (P Davey). In each case, the source of origin is likely to have been the west coast of Africa south of 30°N; at 4000 plus kilometres, this surely constitutes one of the furthest journeys undertaken by any moth species seen in the county.

This species resembles the Golden Twin-spot²⁴²⁸. Diagnostics include: a bronze-coloured sheen on the forewing, not a golden sheen; a more rectangular wing reminiscent of Silver Y²⁴⁴¹.

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