General comments:
Widespread but local in Hertfordshire; Extremely scarce resident in Middlesex.

The first British specimen of the Golden Plusia was taken by a schoolboy at Dover, East Kent, on 25th June 1890 and reported by Barrett in the same year (Entomologist's Monthly Magazine : 255) who gives other reports. The first Hertfordshire example was captured by Arthur Cottam, in the company of Clarence E. Fry, in Fry's garden at Elmcote, Watford, on 19th June 1896. It was taken at Honeysuckle blossom at about 10 pm. In the last week of June and the first week of July 1896 about 8 examples were also captured in Tring. Foster caught it at Hitchin in 1898 (Foster, 1916) and it 'appeared in some numbers' at Watford during 1902 (Barraud, 1903). In the years between its discovery and Foster's 1937 county list it was reported from Bushey Heath, Waltham Cross, Letchworth, Hoddesdon, Baldock, Stevenage, Berkhamsted, New Barnet and Harpenden; in reporting these localities Foster noted that it was 'now [1937] common all over the county'. It was first noted at Bishops Stortford in 1910 and by 1950 was 'now common in most of our gardens' (Allan, 1950). Today(2023), it is widespread, but rather local, perhaps limited by the need for delphiniums unaffected by garden sprays on which to feed. It was first noted in Middlesex in 1940 - at three different places in "London", but it appears not to have become established and today is rather rare in the county as a whole.

Recorded in 28 (68%) of 41 10k Squares. First Recorded in 1896. Last Recorded in 2021. Additional Stats

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