Yorkshire Status: Common and widespread resident.

This is one of our commonest plume moths, and is widespread across all of the county. It is one of just two plume species to be recorded in Yorkshire in every month of the year, the other being Emmelina monodactyla - both over-wintering as adults. The larvae feed on a wide variety of herbaceous plants. Back in the 19th century, Porritt found larvae most commonly on hedge woundwort and rest harrow. The current reliance on light traps and lack of field skills means that we have had few larval records since then - a mere two; both on hedge woundwort. It has become a lot commoner in the county since about 2008.

It is a fairly easy moth to identify. The large scale tooth on the hind wing protrudes when the wings are folded, and this helps to exlude other similarly-marked species. The only real confusion species is A. punctidactyla. This has never been convincingly recorded in Yorkshire, though it occurs over much of the country and could be here under the radar. It is a darker, greyer moth and does not show the red-brown tones of acanthadactyla. It also has a more speckled appearance and a deeper and narrower scale tooth.

Recorded in 102 (51%) of 200 10k Squares. First Recorded in 1859. Last Recorded in 2024. Additional Stats

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