Species Details

ABH: 72.018

BF: 2025

Family: Erebidae

Subfamily: Lymantriinae

Taxon: Orgyia recens

Authority: (Hübner, [1819])

Vernacular: Scarce Vapourer

Account: A vulnerable Red Data Book species, on heathland, damp woodland, fens and bogs, in north-eastern England, restricted now to a few areas close to the Humber and in north-east Norfolk, a priority species under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. In Hampshire the last known locality for this species was Pamber Forest, and the last record was of two larvae found there in July 1944. Not recorded from the Isle of Wight to date. Wingspan male 34-40 mm, female wingless. The main confusion species is Vapourer O. antiqua, but O. recens lacks the white subapical spot of O. antiqua. Larva feeds on various broad-leaved trees and shrubs, including Hawthorn, Pedunculate Oak and Sessile Oak.

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 34 — 40 mm; female wingless

Surrey Flight Period: —

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

Foodplant: Crataegus sp., Quercus sp. (an oak), Salix sp. (a sallow).

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

Status: Endangered (EN)

UK BAP: BAP

WCA:

No distribution map – Sensitive species!

Click here to view the full geology map of Surrey.

Verification Grade: 2 — Care needed to identify, an image may be required 🤔
Further Information: https://www.ukmoths.org.uk/species/orgyia-recens/
Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 4

Individuals: 18

Earliest Year: 1863

Latest Year: 1892

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