B&F: 2360

ABH: 73.128

Status: Resident.

Distribution and Abundance: Local.

Primary Habitat: Wetland.

Flight Period: Single brooded from July to September.

Records: 20 July 1990 Yardley Chase (J. Ward), 1986 Sywell
(J. Dunkley), 29 July 1994 Rushden (M. Hammond) and 27 July 2003 Pitsford Water (P. Horsnail).

Observations: The moth was formerly more common in the county with returns from a garden light trap operated in Wellingborough in the 1950’s showing an annual average of seven moths. In unpublished material on Castor Hanglands from the 1960’s R.E.M. Pilcher regarded the species as common on the reserve, although it has not been seen there since. The indications are that the species prefers damper areas and that it has become more localised within this type of habitat. Records are almost always of single moths at light and all that I have seen have been of oculea which appears to be the only species of the Ear Moth complex that occurs as a resident in Northamptonshire.

Confusion Species: Other "Ear" species - genitalis dissection required for positive identification.

L.O.N.: 1907. Many localities. Common.

First Record: 1859, Sturgess.