B&F: 2317

ABH: 73.214

Status:  Resident.

Distribution and Abundance:  Rare.

Primary Habitat:  Woodland.

Flight Period:  Single brooded from July to September.

Records:  1986 Nene College Park Campus (S. Curson), 23 August 1999 Sulby Gardens (C. Lowe) and 21 August 2010 Woodnewton (N. Smith).

Observations:  Always local, this species suffered a major decline in the 1970’s due to dutch elm disease decimating the county’s English elms. It used to prefer the tall elms with good epicormic growth and these trees that were so much a feature of our local landscape have now gone along with the moth’s primary habitat. There has been some adaptation to the lesser growths of English elm that attain some thirty feet before succumbing to the disease and there are more known sites for the moth in the adjoining county of Huntingdonshire than in Northamptonshire on this type of growth.  Some of the copses and hedgerow elms look very similar to those in Huntingdonshire, so it could be that there are further colonies of the moth awaiting discovery especially in the north eastern part of the county where the two counties adjoin. Earlier localities include Deanshanger School grounds in the 1970’s and Wellingborough; five in a garden light trap from 21 July to 27 August 1955.       

L.O.N.:  1907. Northampton, Kettering, Stanion. At sugar and light. Local.

First Record:  1882, Hull & Tomalin.