Lasiocampidae : Lasiocampinae
  Prev | Next  
Photo © Ben Sale,  Cavenham Heath, Suffolk (19/05/22) - Male

Upload a Photo
Similar Herts & Middlesex Species: None
 
Fox Moth
Macrothylacia rubi

(Linnaeus, 1758) 1638 / 66.008

General comments:
Extinct. Recorded from 1829 to 1961.

Hertfordshire Notes:
A former resident of the chalk grasslands that were once present in the north of the county. First listed for the county from Hertford by Stephens (1829). Foster recorded it on the Hertfordshire side of the Pegsdon Hills in 1906 (Gibbs, 1907) and at Therfield Heath in 1916. Foster also lists Berkhamsted Common (Rothschild), East Barnet (Gillum), Stevenage (Matthews), Hexton, Willbury Hill and Hitchin (Foster; Palmer) in his 1937 county list; though none of the records are dated most were made several years earlier than the year of publication. There are no other records known to me and the species appears to have become extinct in Hertfordshire during the first three decades of the twentieth century. J. F. Stephens' Hertford record and Colonel Gillum's record from East Barnet do not sit well with the overall distribution, perhaps indicating that the moth was formerly more widespread than the few records suggest. Both these records are significantly older than the others and it seems possible that the moth may have been widespread in the nineteenth century?

Middlesex Notes:
Noted only from East Barnet in 1937 and Harrow in 1940.

Recorded in 9 (22%) of 41 10k Squares.
First Recorded in 1829.
Last Recorded in 1961.
Additional Stats

< Oak Eggar | Drinker >

List Species Records   [Show All Latest]
Latest 5 Records
Date#VC10k Area
1961+20TL00 - Hemel Hempstead
1940+20TL13 - Hitchin (N)
1940+21TQ18 - Harrow / Wembley / Ealing
1937120TL12 - Hitchin (S) / Whitwell
1937120TL22 - Stevenage
Show Details | 1990 to 2023 | 2000 to 2023 | Graph Key
Express Record Fox Moth
We need your records!
Do you have records of Fox Moth?
Put your own dot on the map!

Copyright © Lepidoptera UK 2024
   

VC20 VC21 VC21 VC20
Click Map for Details
Forewing: M 22-26mm. F 26-31mm.
Flight: One generation. May-June.
Foodplant:   Heathers, Bilberry, Creeping Willow Brambles
Red List: Least Concern (LC)
GB Status: Common
Verification Grade:  Adult: 1
 Immature Adult   [Show Flight Weeks]
© hertsmiddxmoths.uk 2024 NOLA®; Database using MapMate® Digital Maps © Bartholomew 2010. Design © Jim Wheeler 2024
This site requires necessary cookies to function correctly. We'd also like to set Google analytics cookies that help us make improvements by measuring how you use the site. These will be set only if you accept all cookies. Necessary cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. You may disable these by changing your browser settings, but this will affect how the website functions. Cookies Policy