Yorkshire Status: Rare and very local resident.

Sutton & Beaumont, 1989: There are several recent County records for this moth, most of which are definitely the species named. However, there is some uncertainty as to whether ssp. lueneburgensis (Freyer), the Northern Deep-brown Dart (treated by many as a separate species), occurs in the County. Skinner (1984) describes the range of ssp. lutulenta (Denis & Schiffermuller) as being south of a line between the Severn and the Humber. This would suggest only the VC63 records are of this subspecies and lueneburgensis should be found over the rest of the County. However, none of the more northerly records have been presented as lueneburgensis, Lorimer (MBGBI 10) also suggested that lueneburgensis should occur in the County but without definite records it is impossible to say more.

Beaumont, 2002: There has long been uncertainty as to the identity of some Yorkshire specimens recorded under this name and of their distinction from A. lueneburgensis (Freyer) based on their respective distributional ranges as given by Skinner (1984). The most recent treatment (Ronkay, Yela and Hreblay, 2001) makes the comment that the status of the different populations of A. lutulenta (sens. lat.) is one of the unresolved taxonomic problems of the European trifine Noctuid fauna. They treat them as two distinct species, lutulenta having a Ponto-Mediterranean distribution and occurring no nearer to the British Isles than western Germany , while lueneburgensuis has a western and north-western European distribution. If this opinion is followed it would mean the removal of lutulenta from the Yorkshire (and British) list, all records being placed as lueneburgensis.

2012 (CHF): The situation remains confused. In the latest edition, Skinner (2009) says I have followed the generally accepted opinion of most Continental authors, and classified A. lueneburgensis as a separate species although in some British works it is still treated as a subspecies of A. lutulenta. Waring (2009) lists them as two species with A. lutulenta south of a line from the Severn to the Humber and up into Lancashire and says that the two species are largely separated geographically.

Moths in Yorkshire tend to be submitted as Northern Deep-brown Dart as they most resemble this form which tends to be slightly smaller and less brown, though the markings are very variable. Whichever species we have in the county, there are two populations - one in the north of VC62 and the other in VC63, particularly in the east of the vice-county, though it does occasionally turn up at other sites. It can be locally common for a while eg numbers in double figures at Bran Sands in 2002 and recent records from Old Moor Wetlands and West Melton in VC63.

Argus 81, 2017: This rather local species was only recorded from two sites, though one of these was the first in VC64. The Jury is still out as to whether there are two species in the country. If there are, the southern Yorkshire records (including the Garforth record) are probably Deep-brown Dart whilst those in VC62 are probably Northern Deep-brown Dart. We tend however to log all Yorkshire moths as the latter.

VC63. Austerfield, several dates 23.9 to 14.10.2017 (SB). VC64. Garforth, 24.9.2017 (DH). NEW VICE-COUNTY RECORD.

	Retained Specimen / Photograph will be Required.

Recorded in 34 (17%) of 200 10k Squares. First Recorded in 1871. Last Recorded in 2022. Additional Stats

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