Yorkshire Status: Very common and widespread resident.

"Plentiful in woods and lanes everywhere" said Porritt in 1883. It is still plentiful across the county, particularly in a woodland setting. It is less common in gardens, unlike Willow Beauty. Big numbers can occur in good quality habitat for example 109 at Foxglove Covert, Catterick, on 19/7/2013. Our population is healthy and numbers are stable. It is quite a variable species and some strikingly beautiful forms are sometimes seen. Well marked examples are usually easy to identify. Claims of Square Spot (unrecorded in Yorkshire) usually turn out to be this species.

Sutton & Beaumont, 1989: Recorded commonly from vice-counties 62 to 64, being most common near wooded areas. Also very widespread, but in smaller numbers, in VC61 and VC65. This is another species where melanic forms are common in conurbated areas.

Recorded in 165 (83%) of 200 10k Squares.
First Recorded in 1846.
Last Recorded in 2023.
Additional Stats