Species Account

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Distribution

Summary Data

Season (Adult / Immature):

National Status: Common

Local Status: Rare and very local resident.

Local Record: Grade 3 See here for explanation

Flight time: One generation, Jun-Jul.

Forewing: 13-15mm.

Foodplant: Sweet-William and Bladder Campion.

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	1992	1992
Year last recorded	2009	2009
Number of records	20	40
Number of individuals	19	38
Unique positions	9	18
Unique locations	9	18
Adult records	19	38
Immature records	0	0

For the region, we have a total of 40 records from 18 sites. Earliest record on file is in 1992.

Photos

Species Account

For further information refer UK Moths.

Davey, P., 2009: Confirmed as a resident British species in Kent in 1948, the larva feeding on the ripening seeds of sweet william (Dianthus barbatus). The species subsequently spread northwards and westwards to much of south-east England and east Anglia, to Berkshire in the 1970s, and to Hampshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire during the 1980s. In Dorset, the moth was first recorded on the coast in 1992 in a north-easterly airflow, again on the coast two years later, then inland from 1996. Records have been rather sporadic subsequently, but occasional examples from Shaftebury and Gillingham suggest residency for the time being in the north of the county. The following light trap records comprise all county examples: West Bexington on 9 July 1992, 14 July 2000, 1 July 2001 (R Eden), Bere Regis, on 14 August 1996, 19 June 1997 (S Barrett), Child Okeford, on 2 July 1997 (S Barrett), Gillingham, on 20 June 1999, 6 July 2000, 17 June 2006, 10 June 2008 (G Hopkins), Shaftesbury, on 21 July 1996, 2 July 1997, 12 July 1997, 8 July 1998 (W Shreeves), Melbury Down, on 20 July 1996 (P Davey), Highcliffe, on 12 July 1994 (R Chapman).

This species is similar to Marbled Coronet²¹⁷¹ and to a lesser extent, White Spot²¹⁷². Diagnostics include: central white band straddles the whole forewing.

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