Yorkshire Status: Scarce and thinly distributed or restricted resident.

British Moths and Their Transformations by Humphreys and Westwood in 1843 announced the addition of this moth to the British list in 1843 as follows: "The true gilvago is now for the first time introduced into the British lists, on the authority of J. F. Stephens, Esq., who has received it from the neighbourhood of Doncaster, where it was captured last September in some plenty by the Rev. Mr. Preston", though Stainton in Entomologists Annual 1857 adds ... or, more correctly, by his friend, Mr. Hugh Reid, and Porritt in 1883 also credits Reid with the first capture. It must have still been local in Porritt's time and has probably never been common in the county. Numbers declined considerably in the 1990s, almost certainly due to Dutch elm disease, but there have been signs of a slight recovery since then. It remains however a rather elusive moth in Yorkshire and is somewhat local. It prefers wych elm to other elms and is said to need fairly mature trees, however it certainly occurs in some areas where the only elms are in hedgerows.

Sutton & Beaumont, 1989: Found locally in all five vice-counties. This species is said to be dependent on wych elm, which has suffered severely from Dutch elm disease in many parts of Yorkshire. Correspondingly the moth has become very rare in some areas, for example at Wass, VC62 (AMRH pers. comm.). However in other places, such as Muston, VC61 (PQW pers. comm.), the moth seems to be surviving despite the reduction in elms and it may have an alternative food plant in these areas, although none has been recorded.

Recorded in 80 (40%) of 200 10k Squares. First Recorded in 1842. Last Recorded in 2023. Additional Stats

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