Yorkshire Status: Common and widespread resident.

"Rather common" said Porritt in 1883, and followed that in 1907 with "occurs more or less throughout the county." This is the commonest of this group of moths, being about twice as common as Campion. Numbers in Yorkshire seem to be healthy, and have increased a little in recent years, so we now receive about 300 records a year. Having said that, it is rarely seen in double figures, and almost 90% of our records are of single moths. It is widespread across the county wherever campions grow. It is now clearly double-brooded in Yorkshire; the two broods overlapping. Do not mistake it for the more attractive Campion. The two stigmata are not joined at the base and it does not have the purplish marbling seen in Campion. Lychnis is generally a drabber moth.

Sutton & Beaumont, 1989: Fairly widespread and often common on lower ground in all five vice-counties but less frequent in higher areas. The larvae can be found on red campion where it grows in open situations such as roadside verges but not in shade (PQW).

Recorded in 142 (71%) of 200 10k Squares.
First Recorded in 1883.
Last Recorded in 2023.
Additional Stats