1682       Timandra comae (Schmidt, 1931)     BLOOD-VEIN

A widespread species in southern England, more local further north, the larva feeding on dock and sorrel (Rumex spp.), knotgrass (Polygonum spp.) and orache (Atriplex spp.).  In Dorset, the moth is widespread and most common in damp situations, particularly river courses where clustered dock (Rumex conglomeratus) is frequent; it is least common on dry heathland. The flight time covers more than four months and two main overlapping broods are suggested by the records, with a small partial third brood from mid-September.  The period between each theoretical brood peak is forty-five days.

1684       Scopula nigropunctata (Hufnagel, 1767)     SUB-ANGLED WAVE     RDB2

Resident in south-east England on coastal undercliffs and woods inland in Sussex and Kent, otherwise a very rare immigrant, the larva feeding mainly on traveller’s-joy (Clematis vitalba) and honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum), and to a lesser extent on various herbaceous plants.  This single-brooded species is widespread across Europe, colonising woodland.  There is one record from Dorset: Arne Wood, on 26 July 1995 (B Pickess). This individual was trapped at light a time of high migrant activity; see also Satin Lutestring₁₆₅₆ trapped at the same time.

1687       Scopula ornata (Scopoli, 1763)     LACE BORDER     Notable/Na

A rare and much decreased double-brooded species now restricted to Kent, Surrey, Norfolk and Gloucestershire, the larva feeding on wild thyme (Thymus polytrichus) and wild marjoram (Origanum vulgare). In Dorset, individuals have been seen at light on three occasions and all are suspected immigrants from the Continent: Upwey, on 5 July 1960 (H Warry), Scar Bank, on 21 July 1934, and on 2 September 1945 (A Russell) – see photo. Ten days prior to the Upwey record, a single Lace Border was recorded at Abbotstone Down; this remains the only Hampshire record to this day.

1688       Scopula rubiginata (Hufnagel, 1767)     TAWNY WAVE     RDB3

A double-brooded species that is resident in East Anglia on the Breck and on coastal sand-dunes, otherwise a very rare immigrant, the larva feeding abroad on wild thyme (Thymus polytrichus), field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), trefoils (Lotus spp.) and knotgrass (Polygonum spp.). The moth is widespread across Europe, colonising unimproved open grassland habitat.  In Dorset, the following record suggests that the Tawny Wave was once resident in the far north-east of the county, in habitat similar to that found in the Breck district where sand or leached soil overlies chalk: Cranborne, bred from larvae found feeding at night on lady’s bedstraw Galium verum (F Haynes per W Parkinson Curtis). This unusual geology still supports ideal habitat on Martin Down on the Hampshire side of the Dorset border, but matching habitat on the Dorset side of Bokerley Dyke has long since been obliterated by the plough.

These records refer to immigrants trapped at light: Portland, on 12 August 1994, 18 August 2002 (M Cade), Scar Bank, on 21 August 1935 and on 22 August 1935 (A Russell), Studland, on 7 August 1969 (Ent Rec 82:31), Iford, on 5 August 1994 (M Jeffes).

1689       Scopula marginepunctata (Goeze, 1781)     MULLEIN WAVE

A double-brooded species restricted to southern and western coasts of Britain, the larva feeding on yarrow (Achillea millefolium), plantain (Plantago spp.), mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), knotgrass (Polygonum spp.) and other herbaceous plants.  In Dorset, the moth is common in coastal unimproved grassland and on disturbed ground, particularly where yarrow grows.  The species also colonises unimproved grassland on chalky soils inland in the south of the county, notably on the Purbeck Ridge and also around Dorchester.  Thirty individuals from Trigon near Wareham over an eight-year period suggest colonisation of sandy soils; the species colonises sandy localities on the Continent too.  The peak of the second brood is on average, twice as large as the first brood.

1690       Scopula imitaria (Hübner, 1799)     SMALL BLOOD-VEIN

A species occurring widely in southern England but more local further north, the larva feeding on traveller’s-joy (Clematis vitalba), wild privet (Ligustrum vulgare) and honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum) and to a lesser extent on various herbaceous plants.  In Dorset, the moth is common on dry unimproved chalkygrassland such as the Purbeck Ridge and certain coastal localities such as Portland.  It is least frequent in damp situations, river courses and on open heathland. A partial second brood is evident from the data. This evident bivoltine tendency is not noted to occur nationally although such a cycle is established in northern and central Europe.

1691       Scopula emutaria (Hübner, 1809)     ROSY WAVE     Notable/Nb

A local and mainly coastal species in England, the larva feeding on beet (Beta vulgaris).  In Dorset, this moth is a denizen of mire and saltern habitat rather than of coast. Relatively strong colonies occupy muddy shores and saltmarsh edges in Poole Harbour and Christchurch Harbour and in mire habitat across the Poole Basin. Nocolonies have yet been detected west of the Poole Basin which is rather surprising given beet’s strictly maritime distribution and the plant’s relative abundance along Dorset’s coastal belt. However, larvae have been noted on a range of plant species on the Continent. The moth is attracted to light, but an easier way to locate the species, providing that access to mire colonies is possible, is to observe them at sunset as they rest close to the vegetation canopy, often at the top of purple moor-grass stems, before they take to the wing. The national norm is a single brood in late June and July; however, a partial second generation from mid-August to late September is suggested by the limited data available; multiple broods occur in southern Europe.  The following light trap records are suspected wanderers from colonies in the Poole basin: Church Ope Cove, on 25 June 1988 (JEC), Puddletown, on 16 July 2003 (H Wood Homer), Scar Bank, two on 14 July 1934 (A Russell). Many of the existing localities hosting the species are on SSSIs, so threats to the species in Dorset are considered minimal providing conservation agencies keep water tables high enough to maintain the host mire habitat at the respective sites.

1692       Scopula immutata (Linnaeus, 1758)     LESSER CREAM WAVE

A local species in England and Wales, the polyphagous larva feeding mainly on herbaceous plants found in damp habitats such as meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) and common valerian (Valeriana officinalis).  In Dorset, the moth is local and at low density inhabiting wetland, particularly river valleys that support unimproved, unpolluted, herb-rich water meadows, also marsh, plus damp woodland rides and clearings.

1693       Scopula floslactata (Haworth, 1809)     CREAM WAVE

A widespread species in England and Wales, more local in Scotland, the larva is polyphagous on trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants, and these include bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), dock (Rumex acetosa); larvae are also reputed to feed on dry fallen leaves.  In Dorset, the moth is widespread in woodland but at low density.  It is most frequently met with in the heart of deciduous woodland on chalky soil in the north-east of the county where it may readily be flushed out from hazel understory during the day.  This species is often mistaken for the Lesser Cream Wave₁₆₉₂; ‘Cream Waves’ seen from late June onwards are more likely to be Lesser Cream Wave₁₆₉₂ which tend to frequent more open habitat.

1696       Idaea ochrata (Scopoli, 1763)     BRIGHT WAVE     RDB1

Resident and rare on coastal sand dunes and shingle beaches in Kent, Suffolk and formerly Essex, otherwise a very rare immigrant, the polyphagous larva feeding on withered leaves of herbaceous plants and grasses.  The moth has a mainly southern distribution in Europe where it colonises open dry grassland.  In Dorset, three individuals have been recorded on or close to the coast and all are suspected immigrants: Portland, at MV light on 15 July 1994 (M Cade), near Bournemouth, 19 July 1900 (Robertson, 1900, Entomological Record, 12:300, 341), Branksome (All Saint’s Fields near Branksome Parish Church) on 18 July 1901 (E Todd).

1698       Idaea muricata (Hufnagel, 1767)     PURPLE-BORDERED GOLD     Notable/Nb

A local species in England, the larva feeding on marsh cinquefoil (Potentilla palustris).  The moth, unlike other Waves, has purple and gold hues throughout, and at first glance might be mistaken for the pyralid micromoth Hypsopygia costalis₁₄₁₃.  In Dorset, the Purple-bordered Gold is very local and colonises mire habitat and the edges of ponds or flooded pits on sandy soil where its foodplant grows.  It has been found in twenty localities across the Poole Basin including: Winfrith Heath, Trigon Heath, Morden Bog, Canford Heath, Hartland Moor, Studland, Holt Heath, Parley Common, Matchams and Town Common. The moth is attracted to light, but, in the author’s experience, may more often be seen during the dusk and dawn periods as it flies over its habitat.  Most of the existing localities hosting the species are on SSSIs, so threats to the species in Dorset are considered minimal, providing conservation agencies maintain good stocks of marsh cinquefoil plants at the respective sites.

1699       Idaea rusticata [Denis & Schiffermüller 1775]     LEAST CARPET

Resident in south-east England, otherwise an occasional immigrant, the polyphagous larva feeding on the fallen, withered or mouldy leaves of, for example, ivy (Hedera helix) and traveller’s-joy (Clematis vitalba).  The moth is resident in western Europe, colonising dry unimproved grassland and scrub on chalky soil.  In Dorset, this highly distinctive single-brooded mid-summer species was regarded as common very locally on Portland prior to the First World War, being found occasionally amongst pellitory-of-the-wall (Parietaria judaica): seven adults on 28 June 1901, of which five at the Bow and Arrow Castle, all “at rest on pellitory upon which I feel sure the larva feeds at Portland” (Reverend E Bankes).  Subsequently, there were just two Portland records up to 1987.  Since then, records have increased, and although some have been seen on Portland, many have been recorded right along the coastal belt too.  The current status is thought to be of a low-density resident on Portland, and a transitory resident and immigrant along the coastal belt as a whole; no larvae have yet been discovered in the county.

1701       Idaea sylvestraria (Hübner, 1799)     DOTTED BORDER WAVE     Notable/Nb

A local species in England, the larva feeding on heather (Calluna vulgaris).  In Dorset, the moth is restricted to sandy soil where it colonises dry heather-clad heathland.  It may be disturbed from heather during the daytime, but is more frequently seen at light traps. It has been recorded from twenty-nine heathland blocks across the Poole Basin and is always at low density.  The loss of much of the county’s heathland last century is likely to have negatively impacted this species; it is to be hoped that the various initiatives underway to reclaim ‘lost’ heathland will prove beneficial. The main recommendation for conservation agencies managing heathland SSSIs is to maintain a vibrant mosaic of different-aged heather communities on dry heathland blocks.  A small partial second brood occurs in late August.

1702       Idaea biselata (Hufnagel, 1767)     SMALL FAN-FOOTED WAVE

A widespread species in Britain, the polyphagous larva feeding on withered or fallen dry leaves.  In Dorset, the moth is widespread and common, rising to abundant in and around deciduous woodland, scrub and hedgerows, but markedly scarcer in open ‘treeless’ habitat.  The national norm is for a single brood from late June to mid-August, but observations well into September and occasionally early October, suggest a partial and overlapping second brood in most years in the county.

1705       Idaea fuscovenosa (Goeze, 1781)     DWARF CREAM WAVE

A single-brooded species confined to England where it is locally common in the south becoming scarcer further north, the polyphagous larva feeding on fallen withered or dry leaves, and on mosses.  In Dorset, the moth is most frequently recorded at house windows being attracted to relatively low wattage neon or actinic light.   In the absence of light trap records, information relating to this species is scant and the status of the moth is unclear.  The number of Dwarf Cream Waves trapped at Arne Wood comprises sixty per cent of the Dorset total; this locality is situated in mature oak and birch woodland on sandy soil.  A small partial second brood has become apparent in recent years in the late summer, and, for the first time, May records too.

1707       Idaea seriata (Schrank, 1802)     SMALL DUSTY WAVE 

A widespread species in England, Wales and eastern Scotland, the polyphagous larva feeding on ivy (Hedera helix), withered or dry leaves of herbaceous plants, mouldy leaf litter, vegetable refuse and compost. The moth shares the Dwarf Cream Wave’s₁₇₀₅ penchant for illuminated windows to which they seem to be readily attracted.  Ivy carpets the quarries along the Purbeck coast and on Portland and among grassland elsewhere along the coastal belt, and the moth is often recorded from these areas.  Inland, ivy is dominant on the ground in plantations, and frequent in woods and hedges too.  It is likely that the species occurs in such places, although there are insufficient records to confirm this. Alternative food sources centre on human habitation such as farms and gardens. The flight time covers four months, and two overlapping broods are evident from the data. The national norm is for a single brood in northern Britain in July and August, and a double brood in the south.

1708       Idaea dimidiata (Hufnagel, 1767)     SINGLE-DOTTED WAVE

A generally distributed species in Britain apart from northern Scotland, the larva feeding on the withered, decaying or mouldy leaves of, amongst others, burnet saxifrage (Pimpinella saxifraga), hedge bedstraw (Galium mollugo) and cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris).  In Dorset, the moth is particularly common on unimproved grassland on chalky soil inland such as on the Purbeck Ridge, and on coastal grassland, notably on Portland.  It is least frequent on sandy soils.  The extended three plus month flight period suggests two overlapping broods.

1709       Idaea subsericeata (Haworth, 1809)     SATIN WAVE

A species occurring widely across southern Britain but more local further north, the polyphagous larva feeding on the withered or mouldy leaves of herbaceous plants.  In Dorset, the moth is very common on Portland.  Inland it is frequent in deciduous woodland and least often seen on sandy soils.  The national norm is a first brood in June and July, followed by a partial second brood in late August and early September.  However, in Dorset, univoltine and bivoltine cycles are suggested by the data.

1711       Idaea trigeminata (Haworth, 1809)     TREBLE BROWN SPOT

A species restricted to southern England and south Wales, the larva likely to be polyphagous.  In Dorset, the moth occurs in two rather different habitats.  The first is oak woodland where it is locally common and the second is in suburban environments where it is regularly encountered but at low density.  Elsewhere, it occurs infrequently.  In addition to the dominant single mid-June to mid-July brood, a partial bivoltine cycle is suspected with a number of records in May and in August. The national norm is a single brood between mid-June and mid-July, followed by a partial second brood in late July and August.  In southern Europe, the moth is bivoltine.

1712       Idaea emarginata (Linnaeus, 1758)     SMALL SCALLOP

A local single-brooded species confined to southern England and Wales, the polyphagous larva feeding on low plants, grasses and fallen leaves for example birch (Betula spp.).  In Dorset, the moth is very local, forming isolated colonies on marshy ground and wet flushes on wetland sites across the county.  Colonies are present on the southern and western flanks of Poole Harbour, in the Stour valley, Luckford Lake and the Moors River. 

1713       Idaea aversata (Linnaeus, 1758)     RIBAND WAVE 

A widespread species in Britain, the polyphagous larva feeding on the withered or mouldy fallen leaves of deciduous trees, shrubs and grasses, plus a variety of low-growing herbaceous plants including knotgrass (Polygonum spp.), chickweed (Stellaria spp.), dandelion (Taraxacum agg.) and dock (Rumex spp.). In Dorset, the moth is ubiquitous and often abundant, occurring in practically every habitat type. Of the four thousand plus Riband Waves trapped at Arne Wood between 1974 and 1995, 24% were of the typical banded form, and 76 % referred to the plain form, ab. remutata.

1714       Idaea degeneraria (Hübner, 1799)     PORTLAND RIBBON WAVE     RDB3

The first British moth was discovered on the Isle of Portland by E Curtis on 24 June 1831. The xerothermic species is only found in Dorset, the larva feeding on the dry and withered leaves of many herbaceous plants including yarrow (Achillea millefolium), field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), and bramble (Rubus fruticosus). The single-brooded moth is found in grassy, scrubby undercliff on Portland, St Albans Head and at Winspit on Purbeck. Research in other herb-rich unimproved grassland sites between Portland and Durlston may well yield additional colonies.  Although the habitat available to the species is restricted, colonies are relatively strong, particularly on Portland, and many moths may be encountered at dusk with the aid of a tilley lamp. Reverend E Bankes managed to rear the species from eggs laid by a moth found on the undercliff on 28 June 1901 between the Breakwater and Pennsylvania Castle on Portland. The young larvae were sleeved out on bramble from early August and brought indoors in December, but fed whenever the weather was mild through the winter. They were reared on bramble at all times; thirty-two adults emerged from thirty-five pupae. Occasionally moths are observed more widely along the coastal belt, and outside the resident flight period, primarily in September, but on one occasion in May.  These are likely to refer to double-brooded immigrants from abroad. Recommendations for conservation agencies managing coastal SSSIs on the Purbeck coast and on Portland are, firstly, to maintain herb-rich unimproved grassland through appropriate levels of grazing, and secondly, retain sufficient quantities of managed deciduous scrub that afford both shelter in these exposed locations, and additional food sources.

1715       Idaea straminata (Borkhausen, 1794)     PLAIN WAVE  

A widespread but local species in Britain, the larva is polyphagous on withered leaves of herbaceous plants such as stitchwort (Stellaria spp.) and bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus).    In Dorset, the moth is restricted to sandy soils where it colonises deciduous birch and/or oak woodland and scrub.  This species resembles the Riband Wave₁₇₁₃, and care is needed to correctly identify it.