Yorkshire Status: Fairly common resident.

This species was unknown to Porritt and first appeared in the county in the 1950s, having spread from the south. It has slowly increased in numbers and we generally now receive about 100 records per year though numbers tend to vary a lot. This is a moth of damp areas; the larvae feeding on reed canary-grass and reed sweet-grass, though it can wander and can turn up in other habitats. It can reach big numbers at some wetland sites, for example 193 at Skerne Wetlands on 17/7/2022.

Sutton & Beaumont, 1989: First officially recorded in the County in 1956 (YNU, 1970), although there was an overlooked record at Whirlow, Sheffield in 1953 (Garland, 1979). This species is now quite widespread over the County. We only have one VC65 record but there is also a record from Low Coniscliffe in Durham, just over the Tees (Dunn & Parrack, 1986).

Recorded in 125 (63%) of 200 10k Squares.
First Recorded in 1929.
Last Recorded in 2023.
Additional Stats