Species Account

Select species and region:

Distribution

Summary Data

Season (Adult / Immature):

National Status: Common

Local Status: Uncommon and restricted resident.

Local Record: Grade 3 See here for explanation

Flight time: One generation. Jul-Aug.

Forewing: 15-19mm.

Foodplant: Gorse, Petty Whin, Dyer's Greenwood.

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	1931	1988	1931
Year last recorded	2011	2005	2011
Number of records	194	5	398
Number of individuals	430	8	876
Unique positions	95	3	196
Unique locations	66	3	138
Adult records	185	5	380
Immature records	0	0	0

For the region, we have a total of 398 records from 138 sites. Earliest record on file is in 1931.

Photos

Species Account

For further information refer UK Moths.

Davey, P., 2009: A species found throughout Britain, the larva feeds on gorse (Ulex europaeus) and petty whin (Genista anglica). In Dorset, the moth occurs wherever gorse is abundant, particularly on heathland, but also on gorse-clad chalk downland. The record below refers to a strong colony of July Belle on an unimproved neutral grassland site where there is no gorse. However, dyer's greenweed (Genista tinctoria) is well established there: Rooksmoor, fourteen disturbed by day on 4 June 1997, three by day on 5 June 2003 (P Davey).

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