Noctuidae : Hadeninae
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L-album Wainscot
Mythimna l-album

(Linnaeus, 1767) 2202 / 73.300
Photo © Barry Spence, 5 Oct 2010,  TA419150Spurn, VC61

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Obscure Wainscot
Leucania obsoleta
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Yorkshire Status: Very rare and very local migrant/wanderer.

It is interesting to look at what I wrote below in 2020. Since then, there have been three further records, all in 2023, two at Spurn and one further up the coast at Flamborough. This could be another Wainscot following in the footsteps of White-point and Delicate, initially appearing as a migrant and then colonising. Watch this space is the correct advice!

2020 (CHF): L-album Wainscot doesn't have a very exciting map I'm afraid but it's a case of "watch this space". It is yet another recent colonist. The first records of migrant moths were in 1901 and breeding was first proved in Devon and Cornwall in the 1930s. From there it spread along the south coast. The pace of expansion started to accelerate in about 1990 and it is now resident in all southern coastal counties, Essex, Suffolk and south Wales. Records elsewhere are assumed to be migrants, and this was the case for our first record in 2010. The exciting news is that we had two further records at Spurn in 2020 on 22nd and 29th September. This is a bivoltine species so these are second brood moths which presumably hatched further south.

It is highly likely that at some stage in the next few years, this species will colonise the county, almost certainly starting at Spurn. Who knows, it could be sooner than we think. The Field Guide is quite dogmatic about where we will find it. "Rough grassland by the sea" is the only habitat. The larval foodplant is "marram grass" but "tall fescue has also been suggested" - a far more widespread grass of course. It seems therefore that we're not going to find it inland. But wait, is it a simple as that? Looking at the Atlas, there are recent records inland further south. OK some might be migrants, but there is a cluster in Northamptonshire which look like residents, not to mention a lot of dots in the London area and inland Hampshire. Noctuidae Europaeae says for food plants "the larvae feed on various soft, broad-bladed grasses eg Poa, Festuca, Dactylis etc.". No mention of sticking to marram grass, in fact no mention of it at all. The distribution map shows it widespread over all European countries except for Scandinavia, with no bias for coastal sites. My French book which charmingly calls it "Le Crochet Blanc" (the white hook as opposed to our "white L") says the same.

This is a moth about which we will hear more. Expect a march north and spread inland. You shouldn't have any difficulty identifying it - it's a Shoulder-striped Wainscot with attitude. By 2030 just perhaps you'll have it in your garden!

Retained Specimen / Photograph will be Required.

Recorded in 3 (2%) of 200 10k Squares.
First Recorded in 2010.
Last Recorded in 2023.
Additional Stats

< Shore Wainscot  |  Shoulder-striped Wainscot >
Forewing: 15-16mm
Flight: July and September - October
Foodplant:   Grasses
Red List Status: Least Concern (LC)
GB Status: Common
Verification Grade:  Adult: 3
List Species Records   [Show All Latest]
Latest 5 Records
Date#VC10k Area
02/10/2023161TA27 - Flamborough Head (North)
16/06/2023161TA41 - Kilnsea / Spurn Head
15/06/2023161TA41 - Kilnsea / Spurn Head
27/09/2020161TA31 - Skeffling / Easington
22/09/2020161TA31 - Skeffling / Easington
  Immature   Adult   [Show Flight Weeks]
Show Details | 1990 to 2023 | 2000 to 2023 | Graph Key
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