Photo © Neil Money

Small Autumnal Moth

Epirrita filigrammaria

Checklist Number
70.110 [B&F: 1798]

Verification
Record requires retention of specimen until confirmed, and may require dissection. Consult with CMR if unsure

Classification

Family:Geometridae
Subfamily:Larentiinae
Genus:Epirrita
Species:filigrammaria
Authority:(Herrich-Schäffer, 1846)

Common on moorland throughout much of Scotland, northern England and Wales, rare elsewhere; problems in identifying individuals to specific status mean that all Epirrita species are under-recorded. Unlikely to be recorded in Hampshire or on the Isle of Wight. Wingspan 30-38 mm. One of four very similar species of Epirrita found in the UK, which are generally separable only by dissection of the genitalia. Larva feeds on Heather, Bilberry and Sallow, over-wintering as an egg.