Yorkshire Status: Rare transitory resident or wanderer.

Reed Dagger is a wetland species, usually coastal but sometimes further inland. Common reed is the preferred food plant but it will also feed on other wetland plants. Its main home is along the coast from Hampshire round to north Norfolk. In Yorkshire, all our records are from Spurn. The Atlas calls our records "migrants" but it is possible that it forms transitory colonies. The comments below from Sutton and Beaumont give an accurate picture of the situation in 1989, though in the Millennium Supplement it says "the comment that a colony formerly existed in a small reed-bed at Spurn is considered erroneous (Spence, 1991 and pers. comm.). All records are now thought to have been of immigrants". It is odd however that if all the moths are immigrants, why have they never turned up anywhere else. Since then, there were records in 1995 and 96, and then from 2003 to 2008, all of single moths. In appearance it looks very like a Wainscot, and is sometimes called Powdered Wainscot, but it is not related at all. The pure white hindwing is a good feature, together with the long black basal streak.

Sutton & Beaumont, 1989: This species was first taken in Yorkshire on 3.8.1970 by B. R. Spence at Spurn (VC61). Two more were recorded the same year (on 10.8.1970), one on 18.8.1973 and one on 6.8.1975. There were then no further specimens until singles were caught on 1.8 and 3.8.1982 (all by BRS). The 1970s records were all made adjacent to the small reed-bed on the seaward side of the bird observatory. By the early 1980s this had been overwhelmed by the sea and it was assumed the colony, which the reed-bed was thought to house, had been destroyed. The subsequent records may indicate a population in reed-beds further to the north. However since there have been no further records its status is rather uncertain. If there is a resident population in Yorkshire, it is by far the most northerly colony in Britain, the nearest known to the south being in the Norfolk reed-beds.

Recorded in 1 (1%) of 200 10k Squares. First Recorded in 1970. Last Recorded in 2008. Additional Stats

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