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Brindled Pug
Eupithecia abbreviata Stephens, 1831
Geometridae: Larentiinae
1852 / 70.156
Photo © Aidan Smith,  30 April 2024, Gen. Det. Female, VC64, Otley

Similar Yorkshire Species
Mottled Pug
Eupithecia exiguata
Oak-tree Pug
Eupithecia dodoneata
Forewing: 10-12mm
Flight: March - May
Foodplant:   Oaks and Hawthorns
Red List: Least Concern (LC)
GB Status: Common
Verification Grade:  Adult: 2

Yorkshire Status: Common and widespread resident.

This is the commonest Pug in March, April and early May, especially in oak woodland but also often in gardens. The comments below in Sutton and Beaumont below seem curious and imply that it was much less common in the past, though Porritt mentions several sites in 1883 and in 1907 calls it "widely distributed". On a warm spring night it can be quite abundant in woodland, eg 122 at Hackfall Woods on 30/3/2012. Its distribution across the county mirrors suitable woodland habitat. The main confusion species is Oak-tree Pug which starts flying a two or three weeks later and has shorter rounder wings. Brindled Pug is a long-winged beast. Numbers and distribution in the county are stable, and nationally it seems to be increasing its range.

Sutton & Beaumont, 1989: Formerly only recorded from oak woods around Selby (YNU, 1970). This species either has spread or has previously been unnoticed elsewhere.

Recorded in 144 (72%) of 200 10k Squares.
First Recorded in 1880.
Last Recorded in 2024.
Additional Stats

Latest 5 Records
Date#VC10k Area
08/06/2024163SE61 - Stainforth / Thorne
06/06/2024165SE37 - Ripon
03/06/2024163SE23 - Horsforth / Headingly / Pudsey
02/06/2024164SE24 - Bramhope / Otley
31/05/2024164SE24 - Bramhope / Otley
Further info: Eupithecia abbreviata
 
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