Red List: Least Concern (LC). GB Status: Common.

Identification

Very variable but usually distinctive. Care required, potential confusion with Small Dotted Buff and Small Wainscot.

Recording Method.

Attracted to light, also comes to sugar and flowers.

Life cycle

One generation. Overwinters as a larva. Larvae August to early June, feeding inside the stems. Pupates in a chamber at the base of the foodplant.

Larval foodplants

Various grasses including Sheep’s Fescue and Tufted Hair-grass.

Habitat

Grassland, especially short, dry grassland as often found on the coast.

History

Lennon (1863) had found it common everywhere around the Dumfries area. K. J. Morton of Edinburgh (1900) whilst on a visit in July 1899 to Wigtownshire had found the Cloaked Minor in the Monreith area. While Gordon (1913) found it scarce and had only one record of it at the foot of the hill on Garheugh road, Luce Bay (VC74).

The next records came in 1972 when it was found at Sandhead and Portpatrick (VC74). Followed by four records each at Caerlaverock and Newton Stewart during 1975-77, the only Rothamsted data. Sandhead was again visited in 1987 during 12-14th August 1987, providing our only records during the 1980s.

During 1996-2010 three sites in Dumfriesshire provided seven records, Kirkton, Durisdeer and Barnkirk Point. However, eleven sites in Wigtownshire produced eighteen records, while Old Torr and Mersehead RSPB, were the main sites in Kirkcudbrightshire.