General comments:
Vagrant. Extinct resident.

Our only recent record is from Chorleywood, with one on 23rd May 2009 - presumably a vagrant. Our earliest record is from Haileybury College area (Bowyer, 1888), and the moth was presumably either on the adjacent Lea Valley marshes or a wanderer from there. It was certainly present at Cheshunt Marsh, where it was said to be scarce (Boyd, 1901) and Broxbourne Marshes, where it "used to be common" (Foster, 1937). It is not hard to imagine that the freshwater marshes of the River Lea Valley, perhaps even those along the River Stort, as suitable habitat for this wetland moth throughout much of their length. There is an old record from East Barnet (Gillum, given in Foster, 1937) which dates between 1860 and 1937. During the 1940s it was "not common", but was reported as taken along the River Beane, below the village green at Walkern, by J. Birdsall.

It is unlikely that the species is overlooked as it is now more or less confined to coastal areas in the south-east of Britain. One at light in Chorleywood during May 2010 was surely a vagrant example.

Recorded in 4 (10%) of 41 10k Squares. First Recorded in 1900. Last Recorded in 2010. Additional Stats

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