Red List: Least Concern (LC). GB Status: Common.
Identification
The majority of November Moth, Pale November Moth & Autumnal Moths, especially when worn, cannot be assigned to species without dissection and should be recorded as 70.1071 Epirrita agg or November Moth agg.
A minority of male moths that are well marked and not worn can be identified to species level by looking at the position of the discal spot relative to the outer cross-band. Male Epirritas can also be identified to species by examining the octavals on the posterior margin of the 8th sternite with a 10x hand lens. See Waring et al (2017).
Recording method
Attracted to light.
Life cycle
One generation. Overwinters as an egg on bark or a twig. Larvae May and June. Pupates underground.
Larval foodplants
Birch and Alder, also Heather.
Habitat
Open woodland, heathland, moorland, scrub.
History
First recorded for Dumfries and Galloway in 1946 for VC72 at Tynron by Duncan, in 1970 for VC73 at Silver Flowe NNR by Hulme and in 1976 for VC74 at Penninghame House, north of Newton Stewart in the Rothamsted light trap there.
