General comments:
Widespread but very local resident. Declining.

Perusal of existing texts indicates that gardens, waste places, river banks and similar habitats support this species, whilst Skinner (1998) states in particular that it is most numerous on 'the old slag heaps in parts of the Midlands'. This all seems to point to a species that favours ruderal habitats - those in which the ground is recently disturbed and this would fit nicely with the apparent decline in the moth in Hertfordshire and Middlesex where such habitat is actively being lost. Mowing, spraying, the incessant 'tidying' of road verges and other places, the mania for planting trees in every available grassland, the ploughing of field margins and the absence of sheltering hedges in places where field margins are actually retained are all contributing factors in the decline of the habitat, as is the redevelopment of brownfield sites within the county.

Recorded in 28 (68%) of 41 10k Squares. First Recorded in 1887. Last Recorded in 2020. Additional Stats

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