Identification

Care required to separate from other ‘wainscots’, particularly Smoky Wainscot.  One key feature is the pale band across the forehead.

Recording Method.

Attracted to light, also comes to sugar and flowers.

Life cycle

Overwinters as a small larva during August to early June, feeding by night and hiding by day in old reed stems or leaf litter.

Larval foodplants

Common Reed and Reed Canary-grass.

Habitat

Marshes, fens and water ditches.

History

During the latter half of July 1996 two were caught at Caerlaverock WWT. One was trapped at Auchencairn (VC73) in early September 2003.

It was possibly overlooked on the Solway coast.