Yorkshire Status: Common and fairly widespread resident.

Porritt described this species as "common everywhere" in 1883, and noted that in the south-west of the county, the dark form (f. capucina) was as common as the paler form. It is still fairly widespread across the county nowadays, but the darker form is less common, with a ratio of about 6:1 in favour of the pale form. Not quite such a dramatic example of natural selection as Peppered Moth, but another example of evolution in action. The dark form is apparently confined to Britain. This is a moth of woodland and scrubby areas. It often appears in gardens. The larvae are commonest on hawthorn and blackthorn. Numbers in the county seem to be healthy.

Sutton & Beaumont, 1989: Well distributed and often common in all five vice-counties. Both typical and melanic forms (ab. capucina (Milliere)) are frequent.

Recorded in 145 (73%) of 200 10k Squares.
First Recorded in 1846.
Last Recorded in 2024.
Additional Stats