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Light Knot Grass - Acronicta menyanthidis
Wingspan 33 to 41 mm.
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A species of acid moorland and damp heathland.
The moths are on the wing between May and July when they can be found resting exposed on fenceposts and rocks. At night they will come to light.
The caterpillar is blackish-brown with a red spiracular line dotted with white. It feeds on a number of moorland plants including Bog Myrtle and Bilberry.
Distributed over northern England, Wales, Scotland and parts of Ireland. In a recent survey to determine the status of all macro moths in Britain this species was classified as local.
Rare in Leicestershire and Rutland.
Leicestershire & Rutland Map
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Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015
UK Map
Species profile
- Common names
- Light Knot Grass, Light Knotgrass
- Species group:
- Moths
- Kingdom:
- Animalia
- Order:
- Lepidoptera
- Family:
- Noctuidae
- Records on NatureSpot:
- 2
- First record:
- 24/05/2019 (Pearce, Dave)
- Last record:
- 25/05/2019 (Leonard, Pete)
Total records by month
% of records within its species group
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