Species Details

ABH: 63.115

BF: 1331

Family: Crambidae

Subfamily: Acentropinae

Taxon: Acentria ephemerella

=Acentria nivea

Authority: ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)

Vernacular: Water Veneer

Account: Common in ponds, lakes and slow rivers throughout much of the British Isles. In Hampshire and, to a lesser extent, on the Isle of Wight, locally abundant in suitable habitat throughout. Wingspan male 13-17 mm, female wingless. Only the distinctive male is likely to be encountered and on certain nights it undergoes massive dispersal flights when it appears at light far from water and often in vast numbers (1000+ not unknown). Larva feeds on Canadian Waterweed and Pondweed, living entirely underwater.

Accounts provided by and used with the kind permission of Mike Wall, Hampshire County Moth Recorder. These will in due course be gradually replaced with species accounts with a Surrey context.

Wingspan: male 13 — 17 mm; female wingless

Surrey Flight Period: 19 May (2020) — 8 Sep (2023)

The flight period of overwintering adults are not given. See the flight chart below the distribution map.

Foodplant: Elodea sp.

Foodplant accounts are from the HOSTS database — Natural History Museum, London, UK. (CC0).

Status: Common

UK BAP:

WCA:

Click here to view the full geology map of Surrey.

Verification Grade: 1 — Relatively easily identified 👌

Further Information: https://www.ukmoths.org.uk/species/acentria-ephemerella/

Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 193

Individuals: 329

Earliest Year: 1995

Latest Year: 2025

« Previous Random 🎲 Next »