Yorkshire Status: Rare and local resident.

The first British specimen was taken by Arthur Smith at Strensall in 1927, with more in 1935. It was not immediately recognised. In 1935, S. Wakely saw the specimens in Smith's collection, and suspecting that they were of a species new to Britain, sent one to F.N. Pierce for dissection. Pierce confirmed that it was indeed new. Apparently, Heslop dubbed it the "Strensall Groundling", a far better name than the current vernacular! Since then we have had scattered records across much of the centre and south of the county, but it remains an uncommon species. It has not been seen in VC65. Strensall Common has contributed 25% of our records, so it still occurs in good numbers there. It is a moth of heathy areas with birch, the larvae feeding in a spun or folded leaf. Adults are usually distinctive enough to be identifiable from a good photo.

Recorded in 20 (10%) of 200 10k Squares. First Recorded in 1927. Last Recorded in 2024. Additional Stats

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