Species Details

ABH: 73.128

BF: 2360

Family: Noctuidae

Subfamily: Xyleninae

Taxon: Amphipoea oculea

Authority: (Linnaeus, 1761)

Vernacular: Ear Moth

Account: Common in unimproved grassland, woodland rides, marshes, moorland, saltmarshes and gardens throughout much of the British Isles, a species of conservation concern under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan Ear Moth is very like other Amphipoea species and those from northern Britain at any rate can only be identified with certainty by reference to the genitalia (MBGBI Vol 10). In southern England, it may be confused with Saltern Ear A. fucosa, however Saltern Ear is generally paler and longer-winged. Larva feeds within stems and roots of various grasses, including Annual Meadow-grass and Tufted Hair-grass, and herbaceous plants such as Butterbur, over-wintering as an egg.

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: 28 — 34 mm

Surrey Flight Period: 28 Jun (2009) — 6 Sep (1996)

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

Foodplant: Deschampsia cespitosa (Tufted Hair-grass), Gramineae., Petasites hybridus (Butterbur), Polyphagous.

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

Status: Least Concern (LC)

UK BAP: BAP(R)

WCA:

Click here to view the full geology map of Surrey.

Verification Grade: 4 — ️‼️Dissection required️‼️
Further Information: https://www.ukmoths.org.uk/species/amphipoea-oculea/
Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 494

Individuals: 163

Earliest Year: 1840

Latest Year: 2025

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