Yorkshire Status: Local resident.

In 1907, Porritt described this lovely little moth as "widely distributed and in some localities abundant". Unfortunately we have lost so much of our "unimproved" flower-rich grassland since then that we would now describe it as rather local in small numbers. It is a day-flying species and the larvae feed on common and field mouse-ear, mostly in hay meadows. It is a tiny moth and can be overlooked or mistaken for a Pyrausta species by the unwary. It flies in May. We often receive records of moths at light later in the year, but these are all typos for other "Yellow Underwings". It has never been recorded at light. Numbers seem to be fairly stable at present, and it is still seen in good numbers at some sites for example 20 at Walmgate Stray in 2019 and at Hawnby Hill in 2018.

Sutton & Beaumont, 1989: Recently recorded from several new sites but still rather local. This is a day-flying species so may be under-recorded. Ideal habitats seem to comprise long grass with Cerastium sp. present, such as in hay meadows (PQW pers. comm.).

Recorded in 79 (40%) of 200 10k Squares.
First Recorded in 1883.
Last Recorded in 2024.
Additional Stats