Yorkshire Status: Abundant and widespread resident.

This is the commonest of our Swift moths and is widespread across the county in a variety of habitats. The larvae feed on the roots of grasses and other herbaceous plants. The forewing marking vary considerably, especially in the male. The female is larger and greyer. Numbers are stable. It flies from May to July, though we also have a number of records up to the end of August. Whilst some of these could be misidentifications of Orange Swift, most appear to be correct. It tends to fly at dusk and in the early part of the night.

Sutton & Beaumont, 1989: Widely distributed and often frequent or common throughout all five vice-counties, although numbers may vary considerably from year to year. The moth flies well before dusk low over grassy areas.

Recorded in 165 (83%) of 200 10k Squares.
First Recorded in 1846.
Last Recorded in 2024.
Additional Stats