Yorkshire Status: Very common and widespread resident.

For those who are new to mothing, it might come as a surprise to know that this species was once a great rarity in the county. In 1883 and again in 1907, Porritt was only aware of a single Yorkshire record - from Sutton-on-Derwent. One turned up at Bawtry in 1911 and "several" were found at Spurn in 1949, but it was not until the mid 1970s that it began to move properly into the county. It spread steadily though it took until 1999 to reach VC65. It has now reached central Scotland. It is widespread now across nearly all of Yorkshire with two overlapping broods, and now moths are commonly seen in November - suggestive of a third brood. Numbers seem to have now stablised and we tend to receive about 2,000 records per year. Counts commonly reach double figures, the maximum being 77 at Bellflask near Ripon on 1/8/2011. This is a sexually dimorphic species, males being much paler than females.

Sutton & Beaumont, 1989: There are rather more records than in the 1970 list and these continue to be widely scattered. Now also recorded from vice-counties 62 and 64.

Recorded in 155 (78%) of 200 10k Squares. First Recorded in 1871. Last Recorded in 2023. Additional Stats

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