THE  CONCOLOROUS  MOTH  Photedes extrema

ACTION  PLAN

Last updated November 2001

Note. The contribution of Mr and Mrs J. W. Ward of the Northamptonshire Moth Group in the development of this plan is gratefully acknowledged.

Compiled by The Wildlife Trust

1                     INTRODUCTION

The Concolorous moth has a very limited distribution in Britain, but is found in a number of woodland sites in Northamptonshire. The larvae feed on small-reeds (Calamagrostis spp)., and in our woodlands appear to use purple small-reed (Calamagrostis canescens), but will also usethe wood small-reed (C. epigejos) if this is the only species present.  Wood small-reed is often considered to be a weed species in standard woodlands management, and is often removed from plantation areas as it can out-compete the young trees.

2                     CURRENT STATUS

2.1                International / National Status

• Red Data Book status: rare.
• In the early 1990 s colonies were known in fifteen 10km squares.  There is now evidence to suggest that this may overstate the present position.
• Recent surveys have failed to find the moth in some of its former Northamptonshire strongholds.  Some of the last records from other counties well predate the decline in this county.

2.2                Local Status

In Northamptonshire it has been recorded at several woods, including Glapthorn Cow Pasture SSSI and Geddington Chase SSSI.  The County Moth Recorder, J. Ward, has collated records from many of the sites where the moth has been recorded, and these show a steady decline in numbers from being locally plentiful in the early 1990's, to few anywhere since 1996.

3                     CURRENT FACTORS CAUSING LOSS OR DECLINE

• Habitat loss.
• Scrub encroachment.
• Removal of Calamagrostis spp. from plantations.
• Changing climate.  The keeper at Geddington Chase, a site where there have been no records of The Concolorous moth since 1997, has observed that the wood is becoming wetter overall, but drier in the summer.  This observation is confirmed by the keeper at Salcey Forest and by one of the rangers at Fineshade.

4                     CURRENT ACTION

English Nature are overseeing a survey to establish the status of the moth both locally and nationally.