Lead-coloured Pug       Netted Pug
70.154 BF1822  –  Geometridae –  Larentiinae – Eupithecia pygmaeata – Marsh Pug – (Hübner, 1799) Adult Macro:  CAT 2 – Can be confused with other species – Can be confused with other species       PDF Icon – click for Adult Macro Verification Guidelines
Green –  Rare / Uncommon / Scarce        day-flying – Day-flying
Taxonomy:   Macro   >>  Geometridae  >> Larentiinae
ID Difficulty:  green  – easy to identify, generally distinctive and unlikely to be confused with other species.
ID pointers: This pug is small in size and a rich dark brown in colour. Fairly straight leading edge to the wing with a pointed tip. Small white terminal forewing spots. Fringes to the wing are usually chequered brown and white.
Distribution:  (Last record: 2 June 2025 at Gang Mine, Cromford )  –  A resident species uncommon and locally distributed in Derbyshire. Has only been recorded from a few areas in the northern part of the county, so a record from the south is exceptional. The species maybe expanding its range in the county.
Flight Period: June /  –  On the wing June. Moth Activity: Diurnal  Crepuscular   – occasionally attracted to light Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Brayan Barnacle; Mike Williams  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 8 September 2025 by TD ***
Wingspan: 14-18mm
Forewing: 8-9mm Food Plant: Field Mouse-ear.
Last Recorded Year: 2025
Last Recorded By – Clive Ashton
Last Recorded General Area – Gang Mine, Cromford
IMAGES BELOW:  Derbyshire. Bryan Barnacle © / Drakelow – (2004) – M. Williams©

70.154 BF1822 - Marsh Pug - Geometridae - Eupithecia pygmaeata
Marsh Pug – Eupithecia pygmaeata
70.154 BF1822 - Marsh Pug - Geometridae - Eupithecia pygmaeata
Marsh Pug – Eupithecia pygmaeata – 23rd Nay 2004 – Drakelow NR – Mike Williams©
70.154 BF1822 - Marsh Pug - Geometridae - Eupithecia pygmaeata
70.154 BF1822 - Marsh Pug - Geometridae - Eupithecia pygmaeata

1822-marshpug Marsh Pug - Drakelow NR - Mike Williams©

Distribution Map for Eupithecia pygmaeata

Found 20 records
    ↳ 5 from After 2025
    ↳ 5 from 2020 - 2024
    ↳ 10 from Before 2020

If the Map Layers function fails, just refresh the page and it should be OK after. Use the +- zoom on the top left, or on a tablet, use two fingers to zoom. Remember, the last layer you ticked is the one which displays the popup information - they sit on top of each other - de-select then re-select, to see the popup values.

******* Choose ONLY one at a time, of either Monad, Tetrad or Hectad Distribution - each has it's own set of data. Also, the distribution maps cover ALL recorded data. *******

Bedrock Geology ** indirectly affects moth distribution by influencing the type of habitat and food plants available in an area. In turn, this may affect the types of moths that can thrive, or where they can most likely be found.

Land-cover * shows the variety of land-cover within the VC57 area, based on the CORINE (Coordination of Information on the Environment) forty-four thematic classes of land-cover. This will show, to a greater or lesser degree, the number and variety of moths found in different land-cover types. The UK continues to operate within the Copernicus programme, with the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) providing Corine Land Cover (CLC) datasets for the UK and its territories.


NBN Atlas UK Distribution for – Eupithecia pygmaeata

⚠️ Please wait for the map to load fully – do not click the link shown.


Note – the NBN Atlas datasets are listed in the map below and vary in their currency (uptodateness) – however, the map does give a general indication of the moth's distribution across the UK.

Visit NBN Site


Monthly Records By Year: Eupithecia pygmaeata
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Monthly Counts By Year: Eupithecia pygmaeata
( data is based on 'Adult' stage records only. )


First/Last Recorded Dates: Eupithecia pygmaeata
Adult-only & Anything [Larvae, Pupae, Adult, Mines]

Shading shows moth presence between dates

Click the colour discs below to Select/De-select as Required

Recordings By Year: Eupithecia pygmaeata
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Eupithecia pygmaeata
AGR: -2.8%   |   Total % Change: -40%


CUSUM Analysis: Eupithecia pygmaeata
About this chart: CUSUM (Cumulative Sum) charts track long-term trends in moth populations [ filtered by 'Adult' and 'Mine' life stages ] by showing whether each year’s counts are above or below the historical average. Even small shifts build up over time, making trends of growth, stability, or decline easier to see. CUSUM highlights trend-consistency — asking: “Across the years, have moth counts mostly stayed above or below average?”
The data sample has 21 gap year/s here (zero records) between 2000 and 2025. The moth may have been present in those gap years, but no data was available. Too many year-gaps may exaggerate or skew the chart.

Counts for the current year (2025) are pro-rated based on data available up to month 7 (July) to provide a full-year equivalent.

ⓘ Purple line rises = years better than average; falls = years worse than average.
Peak (best year) Trough (worst year) Growth periods Decline periods
Population peaked around 2007, reaching above average levels. The lowest population point occurred near 2024, showing a significant decline.

What the Y-axis "Cumulative Deviation" means: Cumulative Deviation shows the running total of how each year’s moth population count differs from the long-term average. i

Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Eupithecia pygmaeata
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Eupithecia pygmaeata
( data includes Adult Stage only )

Flight Period chart – the grey hatched area above, which can cross one or more months, pictorially represents the best guess we have for this moth's flight periods [month/s]. The coloured lines represent the actual months seen in flight, from site observation records received between 2020-2025.

Records Behind the Map and Charts - Eupithecia pygmaeata – 20 records available

Listed by Year - descending - scroll across to see all table columns

TaxonSite NameTetradYearDateCountStageSource
Eupithecia pygmaeataGang Mine, CromfordSK25X202502/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Eupithecia pygmaeataHollowaySK35I202502/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Eupithecia pygmaeataGang Mine, CromfordSK25X202504/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Eupithecia pygmaeataBonsall MoorSK25P202505/06/20252adultvc57_irecords_extract
Eupithecia pygmaeataGang Mine, CromfordSK25X202509/06/20254adultvc57_irecords_extract
Eupithecia pygmaeataHolloway, MatlockSK35I202420/06/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Eupithecia pygmaeataGang Mine, CromfordSK25X202422/06/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Eupithecia pygmaeataHolloway, MatlockSK35I202417/05/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Eupithecia pygmaeataHolloway, MatlockSK35I202427/05/20242adultvc57_irecords_extract
Eupithecia pygmaeataHollowaySK35I202310/06/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Eupithecia pygmaeataBiggin Dale, nr HartingtonSK15P201012/06/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Eupithecia pygmaeataDovedaleSK15K201007/06/20102Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Eupithecia pygmaeataBonsall Moor,Bonsall,CromfordSK25T200721/05/20073Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Eupithecia pygmaeataCambridge Wood, WensleySK26K199306/06/19931Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Eupithecia pygmaeataCambridge Wood, WensleySK26K199306/06/19931Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Eupithecia pygmaeataClough Wood,Darley DaleSK26K199205/07/199214Larvaevc57_danes_bc_data
Eupithecia pygmaeataClough Wood,Darley DaleSK26K199205/07/199214Larvaevc57_danes_bc_data
Eupithecia pygmaeataThreepieces, Veron Lane, Kelstedge, AshoverSK36G198505/06/19851Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Eupithecia pygmaeataClough Wood,Darley DaleSK26K197715/07/19771Larvaevc57_danes_bc_data
Eupithecia pygmaeataLathkill Dale (below Haddon Grove), BakewellSK16S197207/06/19721Adultvc57_danes_bc_data

Lead-coloured Pug       Netted Pug

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