Eupithecia simpliciata (Haworth, 1809)

Description: Wingspan 21-23 mm. Forewings pale ochreous brown with white crosslines and a well-defined white sub-marginal line. There is a small black discal spot near the costa. Hindwings similar becoming darker towards the outer margin.

Key Identification Features:

• Pale crosslines and white sub-marginal line
• Small black discal spot near the costal edge of forewing

Sets:

Flight Period: Skinner gives mid-June and early August as the normal flight period in Britain.

Status: There are no recent records for this rare species. It was last recorded from Shane's Castle, Antrm in 1875 and from Lurgan, Armagh in 1936.

Ecology: This species becomes active from dusk onwards and visits the flowers of Ragwort Senecio jacobaea and various grasses. The larvae feed during August and September on goosefoot Chenopodium spp. and orache Atriplex spp. It overwinters as a pupa.

World Distribution: Eurasiatic; widespread across Europe to Asia Minor.

Bradley & Fletcher number: 1842 Agassiz number: 70.166

Additional information:

UK Moths account

Caterpillar: