Yorkshire Status: Common resident.

This is a common and widespread moth all over the county wherever reedmace grows (you are not allowed to call it bulrush I'm afraid). Surprisingly Porritt only listed one record, as follows: "At the Excursion of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union to Bishop Wood, on June 2nd 1884, Lord Walsingham at once noticed that the Typha heads close to Sherburn Railway Station were abundantly infested with the larvae of this species, and from some of the heads gathered, large numbers of the moths were subsequently bred". This is by far the easiest way to record this species. A bare brown seed head implies the moth is absent, but if fluffy seed heads coat the spike in an untidy fashion, this is a sure sign that there are larvae present, and this can be found almost anywhere that reedmace grows. Having said that, 90% of our records are actually of adult moths at light. Adults are distinctive and not likely to be confused with any other species.

Sutton & Beaumont, 1989: Widespread in the southern half of the County as far north as York with records from vice-counties 61 to 64. In the south of VC63 evidence of larval feeding is apparent wherever reedmace occurs, even in small isolated clumps.

Recorded in 101 (51%) of 200 10k Squares. First Recorded in 1884. Last Recorded in 2024. Additional Stats

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