Species Details

ABH: 72.017

BF: 2026

Family: Erebidae

Subfamily: Lymantriinae

Taxon: Orgyia antiqua

Authority: (Linnaeus, 1758)

Vernacular: Vapourer

Account: Common in urban gardens and parks, open woodland, fens, hedgerows, heathland and moorland throughout the British Isles, female wingless. Male day-flying, occasionally coming to light. The main confusion species is Scarce Vapourer O. recens, which differs in having a white subapical spot. Larva feeds on various broad-leaved trees and shrubs, including Birch, Hazel, Sallow, Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Elm, Lime and 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: male 35 — 38 mm; female wingless

Surrey Flight Period: 9 Jun (1996) — 1 Nov (2015)

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

Foodplant: Polyphagous.

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

Status: Least Concern (LC)

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/orgyia-antiqua/

Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 455

Individuals: 105

Earliest Year: 1935

Latest Year: 2025

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