Red List: Vulnerable (VU). GB Status: Common.

Identification

Usually distinctive. Female is wingless and flightless.

Recording method

Females can be found at night on tree trunks. Males attracted to light.

Life cycle

One Generation. Overwinters as a pupa. Larvae  mid-April to mid-June. Pupates in an underground cocoon.

Larval foodplants

A wide variety of broadleaved trees and shrubs including oaks, Hawthorn, Blackthorn, birches, Alder, willows, Ash, limes and elms.

Habitat

Broad-leaved woodland, parks and gardens.

History

First recorded for Dumfries and Galloway in 1906 for VC74 at Corsemalzie by Gordon who had found it ‘common on tree trunks’ and found ‘larvae abundant on elms in the woods’, in 1930 for VC72 at Closeburn by Duncan and in 1942 for VC73 near Gatehouse of Fleet by Russell.

Cunningham in 1949 recorded the first all-dark brown form monacharia at Tynron (VC72) on 14th February.