Species Details

ABH: 70.239

BF: 1919

Family: Geometridae

Subfamily: Ennominae

Taxon: Selenia tetralunaria

Authority: (Hufnagel, 1767)

Vernacular: Purple Thorn

Account: Common in woodland, scrub, gardens and a wide range of other habitats throughout much of England, spreading into Scotland The most likely confusion species is Lunar Thorn Selenia lunularia, both share the same posture at rest, but Lunar Thorn has the postmedian line straighter, joining the costa closer to the base of the forewing, and lacks the dark spot near the dorsum on the hindwing of Purple Thorn. Larva feeds on various broad-leaved trees, including Hazel, Birch, Alder, Hawthorn and Oak, over-wintering as a pupa.

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: 46 — 52 mm

Surrey Flight Period: 24 Mar (2002) — 3 Sep (2018)

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

Foodplant: Alnus sp., Betula sp. (a birch), Quercus sp. (an oak).

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/selenia-tetralunaria/
Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 629

Individuals: 368

Earliest Year: 1900

Latest Year: 2025

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