Maps updated: April 2008

Eumichtis lichenea lichenea (Hubner, 1813)

Description: Wingspan 35-40 mm. Forewings are greenish grey, which appear mottled when the adult is at rest. The antemedian and postmedian lines are darker than the ground colour. The stigmata are paler and outlined in white and the subterminal line is white and irregular. The terminal line has a series of small black triangles running along the inner margin. Hindwings are white in male but darker in female with a small discal spot.

Key Identification Features:

• Coastal distribution
• Greenish mottled appearance
• Small dark triangles on the terminal border of the forewing
• White hindwings

Sets:

Flight Period: Late August to mid-September.

Status: Scarce; confined to the sites on, and close, to the coast of south Down incluing Murlough National Nature Reserve, Newcastle, Annalong, Castlewellan, and Seaforde. There are no other records from other coastal counties in Antrim and Londonderry despite apparently suitable habitat.

Ecology: A late summer species inhabiting coastal heaths and dunes. Adults appear at light in small numbers and also visit flowers, especially Ivy Hedera helix blossom and overripe blackberries. The larvae feed from October until May of the following year on a variety of plants including Red Valerian Centranthus ruber, Foxglove Digitalis purpurea, Ragwort Senecio jacobaea and stonecrop Sedum spp. It overwinters as a larva.

World Distribution: Mainly coastal throughout western Europe from Portugal to the southern Netherlands.

Caterpillar: