B&F: 2160

ABH: 73.267

Status: Resident.

Distribution and Abundance: Common.

Primary Habitat: Gardens.

Flight Period: Double brooded from May to September.

Observations: Caterpillars of this species are often found feeding on garden plants. Generally the moths are at their most abundant during July. A comparison between an 80 watt m.v. light trap run in a Wellingborough garden for every night in July 1951 and the two static Pitsford Water light traps operating every night in July 2001 produces the following figures:-
1951 Wellingborough:-
Moths seen from June to September, total recorded 231. Recorded in July 145, 63% of the total.
2001 Pitsford:-
Moths seen from May to October, total recorded 154. Recorded in July 107, 69% of the total.
Later returns from the Pitsford Water traps indicate that the species has a tendency towards marked fluctuations in abundance as demonstrated by a high of 247 and a low of 42 moths trapped over the decade to 2009.

L.O.N.: 1907. Everywhere. Very common.

First Record: 1843, Whitwell.