Yorkshire Status: Rare migrant, possibly about to become resident.

In the UK this species occurs both as a native (in the south of England, East Anglia and Wales) and as a migrant. Yorkshire moths have always been assumed to be migrants, but this may not now be the case.

Porritt in 1883 listed records from Askham Bog, Barnsley, Redcar and Scarborough. None were then seen until 1970, and a further seven single moths were recorded until 2014. In 2022 there was a single (probable migrant) at Hunmanby Gap, but in the extreme west of the county there were a remarkable three records from Ingleton and one from West Bradford. This species is almost certainly resident in the Morecambe Bay area so our moths are either wanderers from that population or perhaps it is already breeding in Yorkshire. Records in 2023 from Askham Bog and from Low Dalby did not coincide with other migrants, so it is difficult to know where they came from. Like most Footmen, this is a lichen-feeder, in this case lichens on oaks and other trees. The range is increasing across the country.

Sutton & Beaumont, 1989: There have only been two specimens of this rare migrant from the South of England or the Continent since Porritt (1883-86), when odd specimens had occurred in vice-counties 62 to 64. On map 67 in MBGBI 9, between one and three are shown to have been recorded in VC63 between 1940 and 1978.

Recorded in 15 (8%) of 200 10k Squares. First Recorded in 1875. Last Recorded in 2023. Additional Stats

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