Noctuidae : Xyleninae
  Prev | Next  
 
The Confused
Apamea furva

([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) 2329 / 73.165
Photo © Ian Marshall, 17 Jul 2020,  Flamborough, VC61

Similar Yorkshire Species
Dusky Brocade
Apamea remissa
Upload a Photo
Express Record The Confused

Golden Cinnabar Membership

  • Help with running costs of Yorkshire Moths
  • View detailed maps
  • List detailed species records
  • 12 month membership

yorkshiremoths.co.uk
   You can really help...

Copyright © Lepidoptera UK 2025
   
Click Map for Details

Yorkshire Status: Rare and local resident.

Porritt knew this species from several sites including some where it no longer occurs such as Hull and Wakefield. We have no way of knowing if these were correct, as "Confused" is a suitable name for this moth which can easily be confused with the plain form of Dusky Brocade. In Yorkshire it is still recorded from two parts of the county: the Flamborough area and western upland areas, particularly the limestone Dales in VC64. There have been no records from the North York Moors for many years. There are scattered records in lowland areas but again some of these could be misidentifications of the obscura form of the much commoner Dusky Brocade. Confused is a much less common moth so do take care. It tends to vary little across its range and is greyer than Dusky Brocade with a straighter costa. It has a prominent scale tuft near the base of the dorsum of the wing but this can be difficult to see in a live moth. The subterminal pale line in Dusky Brocade is irregular and more strongly indented. Perhaps the most marked difference is to look at the underside. In Confused, the underside of both forewings and hindwings have conspicuous dark postmedian and subterminal lines whereas Dusky Brocade just has a single postmedian line on the hindwing. Confused also flies on average a month later, peaking around 1st August. Numbers vary a lot from year to year and in some years it fails to show up, but it is likely that our two populations are fairly stable.

Sutton & Beaumont, 1989: Very local: 'the main habitat seems to be rocky places in the Pennines and coastal cliffs' (PQW). This species may be under-recorded due to confusion with A. remissa (Hubner) which is a much more common species.

Retained Specimen / Photograph will be Required.

Recorded in 54 (27%) of 200 10k Squares.
First Recorded in 1827.
Last Recorded in 2024.
Additional Stats

< Reddish Light Arches  |  Scarce Brindle >
Forewing: 16-19mm
Flight: July - September
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
23/07/2024164SD77 - Ingleborough
14/07/2024161TA26 - Flamborough Head (South)
09/08/2023163SD92 - Hebden Bridge / Todmorden
01/08/2023163SD92 - Hebden Bridge / Todmorden
28/07/2023163SD92 - Hebden Bridge / Todmorden
  Immature   Adult   [Show Flight Weeks]
Show Details | 1990 to 2024 | 2000 to 2024 | Graph Key
© YorkshireMoths.co.uk 2025 NOLA®; Database using MapMate® Digital Maps © Bartholomew 2010. Design © Jim Wheeler 2025 Lepidoptera.UK
This site requires necessary cookies to function correctly. We'd also like to set Google analytics cookies that help us make improvements by measuring how you use the site. These will be set only if you accept all cookies. Necessary cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. You may disable these by changing your browser settings, but this will affect how the website functions. Cookies Policy