Tawny Speckled Pug

Tawny Speckled Pug - Eupithecia icterata

Description

Wingspan 20 to 23 mm. One of our largest Eupithecia species. Typically the moth shows the fairly plain, two-tone reddish and brown appearance of the subspecies fulvata but in northern parts a more variegated race cognata occurs.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Areas where the food plants are found.

When to see it

July and August is the main flight time for this usually single-brooded species.

Life History

The foodplants are Yarrow and Sneezewort, the caterpillars eating the flowers as well as the leaves.

UK Status

Occurring widely and often commonly throughout most of Britain. In a recent survey to determine the status of all macro moths in Britain this species was classified as common.

VC55 Status

Once fairly common in Leicestershire and Rutland, numbers have declined and it has become rather scarce recently.

Reference
70.187 BF1838

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Additional images

All NatureSpot records