B&F: 2148

ABH: 73.259

Status:  Former resident.

Distribution and Abundance: Rare - no modern records

Primary Habitat:  Woodland.

Flight Period: From earlier records single brooded in June and July.

Record:  19 June 1992 Castor Hanglands (M. Beeson).

Observations:  Looking at old records this species seems to have varied in abundance over the years. Following Wallis’s comment in L.O.N. it was not seen again until 1917 and then not again until 1939. The moth was recorded sporadically in the 1940’s and with the advent of m.v. light trapping in the 1950’s was recorded commonly in Wellingborough. Due to the precarious state of the moth nationally the numerical catch in this garden trap is perhaps worth mentioning. Viz;-
1951 - 39 between 22 June and 26 July
1952 - 24 between 13 June and   6 July
1953 - 27 between 22 June and 14 July
1954 - 34 between 30 June and 25 July
1955 - 52 between 23 June and 25 July
1956 - 52 between 12 June and 26 July.
Writing in the 1960’s in his unpublished paper, “The Lepidoptera of Castor Hanglands and Ailsworth Heath, 1911 – 1960,” R. E. M. Pilcher regarded this species as common. The 1992 record from the reserve appears to have been a one off as previously, despite considerable recording activity, it had not been seen there for at least thirty years. The last time that I saw the moth in the county was on 30 June 1974 at Grafton Park Wood when two actinic light traps left over night attracted eleven examples.

L.O.N.:  1907. Several localities. Often common at sugar and flowers of Silene.

First Record: 1882, Hull & Tomalin.