General comments:
Widespread and common resident.

It was only as recently as 1968 that it was realised that what had, to that date, been called the Copper Underwing actually comprised two species; Svensson's (or Dusky) Copper Underwing, was split from it. Svensson's Copper Underwing is a widespread and common species in our area, but the map shows it to be rather local. Several methods of separation of this species from Copper Underwing have been proposed; those based on wing pattern, both upper and lower, appear to work and records made this way are accepted here. However, the extent of white on the labial palps (see Winter, 1988 and subsequent plagiarists), is known to be unreliable and records that have been made using this technique alone are excluded from the map. The moth is likely to be found in most parts of our area, but our only breeding record is of a single larva beaten from Hornbeam in Broxbourne Wood on 19th August 1984. There is debate over whether or not the British moth is the same as the European species of whether they are separate subspecies.

Recorded in 34 (83%) of 41 10k Squares.
First Recorded in 1960.
Last Recorded in 2023.