BC National Action Plan for Wales - Medium Priority Species

Angle-striped Sallow     Entephria flavicincta
Two records from Plas Tan y Bwlch, Merionethshire (1996 & 1997).

Barred Carpet     Perizoma taeniata
Click for an enlarged photograph and further information.

Barret’s Marbled Coronet     Hadena luteago
Has been recorded on Anglesey. Current status unknown.

Bilberry Pug     Pasiphila debiliata
Possibly common though there are few actual records.

Bleached Pug     Eupithecia expallidata
Has been caught recently in Merionethshire, Caernarvonshire and Anglesey.

Blomer’s Rivulet     Discoloxia blomeri

Click for an enlarged photograph and further information.

Broom-tip     Chesias rufata rufata

Click for an enlarged photograph and further information.

Chestnut-coloured Carpet     Thera cognata
The larvae of this species feed on Juniper so it is understanably rare in North Wales. Recorded recently on the Great Orme.

Cistus Forester     Adscita geryon
A very scarce forester moth associated with Common Rockrose in limestone districts. Quite easy to see on the Great Orme’s Head and nearby vicinity.

Cloaked Carpet     Euphyia biangulata
Very local though possibly under-recorded. Look for this moth in humid, dripping, shady places such as near waterfalls, gorges and similar.

Coast Dart     Euxoa cursoria
Status uncertain due to possible errors in identification. It may be that the species does not occur in North Wales and all records are in error.

Crescent Dart     Agrotis trux lunigera
A fairly common coastal species. Has recently been recorded well away from any coastal cliffs.

Crescent Striped     Apamea oblonga
Saltmarshes in Denbighshire and Flintshire. Very poorly known.

Devon Carpet     Lampropteryx otregiata
This is now known to be rather a common species in this region. The moths are often disturbed by day as well as regularly turning up in light traps.

Dotted Carpet     Alcis jubata
Click for an enlarged photograph and further information.

Grass Wave     Perconia strigillaria

Click for an enlarged photograph and further information.

Hoary Footman     Eilema caniola

Click for an enlarged photograph and further information. Only recorded once

Large Red-belted Clearwing     Synanthedon culiciformis
One old record from Fenn's Moss.

Lead-coloured Pug     Eupithecia plumbeolata
Recent records from Merionethshire.

Light Feathered Rustic     Agrotis cinerea
Apparently very scarce. Recorded recently at one site in Montgomeryshire where it appears to be quite common.

Lunar Yellow Underwing     Noctua orbona
This is now a very scarce species in Britain. Recorded from Anglesey in the 1970s and in 1982. Other recent records are likely to be misidentifications.

Manchester Treble-bar     Eilema sororcula Click for an enlarged photograph and further information.

Marbled Pug     Eupithecia irriguata
Very few records. Only seen recently in southern Montgomeryshire and at one site in Denbighshire.

Marsh Oblique-barred     Hypenodes humidalis
A common species but easily overlooked on account of its diminutive size.

Northern Drab         Orthosia opima
Recorded from one site only. (Harlech, 2010). This species must surely be overlooked elsewhere?

Oblique Striped           Phibalapteryx virgata
Very few records. None recent.

Orange Footman     Eilema sororcula Click for an enlarged photograph and further information.

Plain Clay     Eugnorisma depuncta
Denbighshire. Old records only.

Portland Moth     Actebia praecox
This sand dune species has been recorded at Aberffraw, Newborough Warren, Morfa Harlech and Morfa Dyffryn. Surprisingly, there appear to have been no records for the last twenty years.

Pretty Pinion Perizoma blandiata
Not seen since 1973.

Purple-bordered Gold     Idaea muricata Click for an enlarged photograph and further information.

Red Sword-grass     Xylena vetusta
A common moth in North Wales. The species overwinters as an adult and comes to light traps in the autumn and then again in the spring.

Ringed Carpet     Cleora cinctaria
Known from the area around Porthmadog. Recorded at Hafod Garregog NNR in 1991.

Rosy Wave     Scopula emutaria
Numerous records from Harlech, Mochras and Morfa Dyffryn. Not known elsewhere.

Sand Dart     Agrotis ripae
Recorded from sand dunes around the coast of North Wales. Some records may erroneous due to identification difficulties.

Satin Lutestring     Tetheella fluctuosa
Quite a common moth, associated with birch woods. Numerous recent records.

Shore Wainscot     Mythimna litoralis
This moth appears to be rather common in the large sand dune systems of North Wales.

Silky Wainscot     Chilodes maritimus
A species which seems to have increased recently. Now widely recorded.

Silvery Arches     Polia trimaculosa
No records for twenty years.

Six-belted Clearwing     Bembecia ichneumoniformis Click for an enlarged photograph and further information.

Small Chocolate-tip     Clostera pigraa
May be reasonably common although there are few records.

Square-Spot Dart     Euxoa obelisca
A coastal species. Status uncertain due to difficulties with identification.

Star-wort
Only a few recent records, most recently in July 2011 at South Stack.

Thrift clearwing     Synansphecia muscaeformis
Rocky coasts of Caernarvonshire and Anglesey. Responds well to pheromone lures.

Thyme Pug     Eupithecia distinctaria constrictata
Morfa Harlech and Morfa Dyffryn.

Valerian Pug     Eupithecia valerianata
This species has been recorded recently in Anglesey and Merionethshire.

White Colon     Sideridis albicolon
Recorded recently in sand dunes on Anglesey and Morfa Harlech / Morfa Dyffryn in Merioneth.

White-marked     Cerastis leucographa
Quite common in Montgomeryshire but unknown further north.

Wormwood     Cucullia absinthii
No recent records. Most likely on brownfield sites.

Yellow-legged Clearwing    Synanthedon vespiformis
Status uncertain. Recorded most recently in the Marl Hall Woods, Llandudno Junction.

   

Yellow-ringed Carpet     Entephria flavicincta
Not included in the BC National Action Plan but Nationally Notable. This upland moth is very similar to the common Grey Mountain Carpet (Entephria caesiata). It is associated with saxifrage species growing on rock ledges in the mountains. There is one very old record and it was re-discovered for North Wales, on Snowdon in 1998 and in 2001 a larva was found at Cwm Idwal. This is definitely a species to look out for although the difficulty of making a reliable identification is formidable.