Beautiful Plume - Amblyptilia acanthadactyla

A "Plume" moth. Like its relative, A. punctidactyla, the hindwing has two patches of black scales on its dorsum which protrude when the rest of the hindwing is covered by the forewing. Amblyptilia acanthadactyla may be distinguished by its warm reddish brown colour from the greyish brown of A. punctidactyla.

Most places including gardens.

July and September onwards.

There are two generations, with moths on the wing in July and again from September onwards, flying after hibernation until May. The adults are attracted to light. The larvae feed in June and in August on the flowers and young leaves of a large range of plants.

This moth is distributed widely over much of Britain and Ireland and, since the 1990s, has become much more frequent, including in gardens. In the Butterfly Conservation’s Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common.

Fairly frequent but not common in Leicestershire & Rutland. L&R Moth Group status = B (scarce resident or restricted distribution or regular migrant)