Species Details

ABH: 73.218

BF: 2315

Family: Noctuidae

Subfamily: Xyleninae

Taxon: Dicycla oo

Authority: (Linnaeus, 1758)

Vernacular: Heart Moth

Account: A Near Threatend species, in oak woodland in parts of southern England, a priority species under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. Extremely erratic in its appearance, occurring commonly in one of its haunts for a few years, then declining to a very low ebb. Nationally only seen in numbers in parts of Surrey (particularly the central southern Surrey commons around Leatherhead, and in the extreme north-west) although it does survive in low density in a few other counties of southern England.Characterised by heart-shaped reniform stigmata. Larva feeds on Pedunculate Oak, 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: 32 — 38 mm

Surrey Flight Period: 12 Jun (1981) — 15 Jul (2013)

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

Foodplant: Quercus sp. (an oak).

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

Status: Near Threatened (NT)

UK BAP: 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/dicycla-oo/

Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 126

Individuals: 296

Earliest Year: 1877

Latest Year: 2015

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