Species Details

ABH: 73.221

BF: 2268

Family: Noctuidae

Subfamily: Xyleninae

Taxon: Parastichtis suspecta

Authority: (Hübner, [1817])

Vernacular: Suspected

Account: Local in fens, damp woodland, scrubby heathland and moorland throughout the British Isles Easily overlooked amongst the far more numerous rustic and minor species of high summer, but candidates can usually be picked out from these on the basis of size and wing-shape — look for a slightly arched costa, rounded termen, and somewhat pointed apex — rather variable in colour and intensity of markings, but often variable shades of red, with finely white-edged reniform and orbicular stigmata, and dentate black cross-lines often reduced or faint. Larva feeds on Silver and Downy Birch, and Sallow, 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: 29 — 34 mm

Surrey Flight Period: 19 Jun (2020) — 9 Sep (1962)

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

Foodplant: Betula sp. (a birch), Salix sp. (a sallow).

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

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 272

Individuals: 122

Earliest Year: 1882

Latest Year: 2025

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