Yorkshire Status: Abundant and widespread resident.

"Very abundant everywhere" said Porritt in 1883 and this is still the case. This is one of our commonest moths, achieving "weed" status in many places. We regularly now receive over 3,000 records per year. Many of the biggest catches come from upland areas for example 535 at Ballowfields NR in upper Wensleydale on 6/8/2010. Dark forms are still common, but not to the same extent as noted in Sutton and Beaumont below. This is another grass-feeding species and occurs in a wide variety of habitats. In some years moths appear in October and sometimes as late as early December, presumably from a small second generation.

Sutton & Beaumont, 1989: One of our commonest moths, recorded widely over all five vice-counties, well up the valleys and on the higher ground. Dark specimens are frequent, for instance at Harmby near Leyburn (VC65) approximately fifty percent of moths are reported to be melanic (FBS pers. comm.). However, no recorders have specified which form (ab. infuscata (White) or ab. aetbiops (Staudinger)) has been noted.

Recorded in 183 (92%) of 200 10k Squares.
First Recorded in 1879.
Last Recorded in 2023.
Additional Stats