Key to Text Moths of Northamptonshire

Key to Map
  Gold Spot Plusia festucae  
         
  Status: Resident.

Distribution and Abundance: Scarce.

Primary Habitat: Wetland.

Flight Period: Probably double brooded from June to September.

Records: 28 August 2005 Greatworth (T. Stokes),
17 July 2005 Kingsthorpe (P. Sharpe),
7 August 2003 Kettering (J. Ward) and
16 July 1993 Sutton Heath (M. Hillier).

Observations: In literature the species is stated to be single brooded from the south midlands northwards. Due to the small number of recent records the current incidence of broods is difficult to establish. The most plentifully that the moth seems to have been recorded in the county was in 1951, 1952, and 1953 at a garden light trap in Wellingborough. The detail of the catches was as follows:-
1951, 5 September and 27 September - 2.
1952, 9 June - 1,
1952, 14 August to 30 August - 9.
1953, 11 September and 19 September - 2.
This data shows that the moth was at least double brooded in 1952. All recent records of the moth have been of singletons at light. Due to similarity in appearance to its congener Lempke’s Gold Spot (P. putnami) and that the two species were not separated until comparatively recently there are probably early records for Lempke’s Gold Spot included under this species.

L.O.N.: 1906. Near Castor. Scarce.

First Record: 1890, Edwards.