Acronicta leporina (Linnaeus, 1758)

Description: Wingspan 38-43 mm. Forewings pale to dark grey with fine, dark speckling. There is small dark basal streak and the antemedian and post median lines are incomplete and usually not clearly defined. There are two distinctive black wavy lines running at right angles from the costa. Hindwings silky white, with a fine dark broken line around the outer margin.

Key Identification Features:

• Grey forewings with the small black wavy lines at right angles from the costa
• Short black basal streak
• White hindwings with broken dotted line along the outer margin.

Sets:

Flight Period: Mid-June to late July.

Status: Scarce and local. The majority of recent records are from Armagh, at regularly-trapped sites such as Peatlands Park, Brackagh Moss National Nature Reserve, Drumnahavil and Loughgall. It has also been taken at Rehaghy Mountain in east Tyrone and at Belvoir Park in Down. There have been no records from any site north of Lough Neagh since it was recorded at Banagher Forest, Londonderry in the early 1970s.

Ecology: A summer species found mainly in damp woodland, heaths and bogs. Adults come to light in small numbers and will also visit flowers from dusk onwards. The larvae feed from the end of July until the beginning of October on birch Betula spp., Alder Alnus glutinosa, willow Salix spp., oak Quercus spp. and poplar Populus spp. It overwinters as a pupa.

World Distribution: Throughout western Europe from Spain to Finland.

Bradley & Fletcher number: 2280 Agassiz number: 73.040

Additional information:

UK Moths account

Caterpillar: