General comments: Widespread resident.
Two very distinct generations of adults are evident. Marbled Carpets appear in a huge range of colour forms; to date these are recorded only casually, although melanic varieties appear to dominate. The specimen illustrated by Skinner (1984 and 1998), at Plate 8, Figure 35, is ab. perfuscata Haworth; this dominates many catches and may form 80 per cent of the individuals in the Hertfordshire spring brood. Skinner's specimen illustrated at Plate 8, Figure 34, with the large brown patches on the fore wings, is the most frequent form in the autumn brood and in my own garden 95 per cent of the autumn 2006 generation are of this form. Non-melanic forms are present, but apparently rare. Recorded in 37 (90%) of 41 10k Squares. First Recorded in 1887. Last Recorded in 2024. |