Red Chestnut - Cerastis rubricosa

Description

Wingspan 32 to 38 mm. The ground colour is a uniform rich pale or dark reddish brown or purplish brown. The markings are often quite pale.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Occupying mainly woodland in the south, and wet moorland in the north.

When to see it

This is a spring flying species, appearing in the first warm days of March and April.

Life History

The larvae feed nocturnally in late spring on several herbaceous plants such as groundsel and bedstraw.

UK Status

It is fairly common and widely distributed in Britain. In a recent survey to determine the status of all macro moths in Britain this species was classified as common.

VC55 Status

Fairly common in Leicestershire and Rutland. L&R Moth Group status = A (common and resident)

Reference
73.336 BF2139

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Red Chestnut
Species group:
Moths
Kingdom:
Animalia
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Noctuidae
Records on NatureSpot:
31
First record:
29/03/2003 (Skevington, Mark)
Last record:
15/04/2023 (Cranston, Elspeth)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

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