B&F: 1880

ABH: 70.201

Status: Resident.

Distribution and Abundance: Rare.

Primary Habitat: Woodland.

Flight Period: Single brooded in March and April.

Records: 18 April 1986 Castor Hanglands (D. Howton & J. Ward) and 30 March 1987 Bedford Purlieus (M. Parsons).

Observations: Although there are very few records for this species over the years, the following up of a 1949 record from Castor Hanglands led to the discovery of a small colony there in 1986. The moths were found at rest in a large stand of wild privet growing in the mixed scrub area of the reserve. The following year two moths were found at Bedford Purlieus. As one of the Castor Hangland moths was a female eggs were obtained and successfully reared with some two dozen moths being released on the site in the spring of 1987. Despite subsequent searches no moths were seen on the privet in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. As these were both small easily overlooked colonies it seems quite likely that the species is still present at these sites. In 2004 Bedford Purlieus was well worked for moths and caterpillars without success.

L.O.N.: 1905. Cliffe, Yardley Chase.

First Record: 1902, Victory County History.