73.053 BF2214  –  Noctuidae –  Cucullinae – Cucullia chamomillae – Chamomile Shark – ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) 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   
Taxonomy:   Macro   >>  Noctuidae  >> Cucullinae
ID Difficulty:  amber  – care required in the identification process, as confusion with similar species is likely – quality photographs required.
Confusion Species:  Shark
ID pointers: Like other members of the Shark family, it rests with wings closed against the body and has a distinctive “Punk-Like” hair-cut above the head. Looks very much like a sharks dorsal fin, hence the name “Shark”. The ground colour is a grey-brown with many dark and pale veins running towards the trailing edge of the wing, extending into the wing fringes.
Distribution:  (Last record: 27 March 2023 at Belper )  –  A resident that is generally uncommon but widely distributed in Derbyshire. Only recorded in small numbers each year and usually from the southern lowland areas of the county.
General Comment: None
Flight Period: April /  May /  June –  On the wing April – June Moth Activity: Nocturnal  Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Tony Davison  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 2 October 2025 by RP ***
Wingspan: 40-42mm
Forewing: 19-23mm
Food Plant: Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile).
Last Recorded Year: 2023
Last Recorded By – Dave Evans
Last Recorded General Area – Belper

Selected Images:  Melbourne, Derbyshire – Tony Davison ©



Distribution Map for Cucullia chamomillae

Found 45 records
    ↳ 0 from After 2025
    ↳ 6 from 2020 - 2024
    ↳ 39 from Before 2020
Flying
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

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.

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.


NBN Atlas UK Distribution for – Cucullia chamomillae

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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: Cucullia chamomillae
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

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


First/Last Recorded Dates: Cucullia chamomillae
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: Cucullia chamomillae
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Cucullia chamomillae
AGR: 0%   |   Total % Change: 0%


CUSUM Analysis: Cucullia chamomillae
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 20 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 10 (October) 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 2004, reaching above average levels. The lowest population point occurred near 2004, 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: Cucullia chamomillae
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Cucullia chamomillae
( 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 - Cucullia chamomillae – 45 records available

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

Site NameTetradDateCountStageSource
Belper GardenSK34P27/05/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
BelperSK34U17/05/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
BelperSK34N12/05/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Findern GardenSK33A11/05/20231Adultvc57_irecords_extract
BelperSK34N11/05/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Findern, Derbyshire, DEAZSK33A22/10/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Ault Hucknall,GlapwellSK46S07/06/20081Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Drayton Ave,Mackworth,DerbySK33D03/04/20081Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Drayton Ave,Mackworth,DerbySK33D03/04/20081Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Bristol Rd,IlkestonSK44R21/05/20071Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Cross Green Cottages,Flint Lane,South DarleySK26Q03/05/20071Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Cross Green Cottages,Flint Lane,South DarleySK26Q13/04/20071Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Lowes Hill,RipleySK35V03/05/20061Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Melbourne, DerbyshireSK32X03/05/20041adultvc57_irecords_extract
Spinney Hill,MelbourneSK32X03/05/20041Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Midway Rd,Midway,SwadlincoteSK32A21/04/20041Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Stevens Rd, SandiacreSK43T10/06/19961Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
The Field,Shipley,IlkestonSK44M04/05/19951Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
The Field,Shipley,IlkestonSK44M04/05/19951Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Wood Lane,Newhall,SwadlincoteSK22V29/04/19941Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Wood Lane, Newhall, SwadlincoteSK22V29/04/19941Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Wilmot St, Sawley, Long EatonSK43R14/04/19931Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Wood Lane,Newhall,SwadlincoteSK22V22/04/19901Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Wood Lane, Newhall, SwadlincoteSK22V22/04/19901Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Grassmoor (site not precise)SK46D19/07/19881Larvaevc57_danes_bc_data
Back Lane,GlapwellSK46T01/07/19881Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Back Lane, GlapwellSK46T01/07/19881Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Wilmot St, Sawley, Long EatonSK43R09/05/19881Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Pond House, Mapperley Res, IlkestonSK44G16/05/19861Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Drummond Rd, IlkestonSK44R08/05/19811Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Drummond Rd, IlkestonSK44R26/05/19801Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Drummond Rd, IlkestonSK44R12/05/19801Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Field Close, Hilton, Burton on TrentSK23K08/05/19781Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Field Close, Hilton, Burton on TrentSK23K05/05/19771Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Field Close, Hilton, Burton on TrentSK23K22/04/19771Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Ashby Rd, MelbourneSK32X24/06/19741Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Welbeck Rd, BolsoverSK47V29/05/19691Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Welbeck Rd, BolsoverSK47Q12/05/19691Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
The Old Manse, Ault Hucknall, GlapwellSK46S23/05/19681Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
The Old Manse, Ault Hucknall, GlapwellSK46S18/05/19681Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Upper Newbold, ChesterfieldSK37L12/07/19661Larvaevc57_danes_bc_data
Upper Newbold, ChesterfieldSK37L07/07/196615Larvaevc57_danes_bc_data
Tupton Park, Tupton (site not precise)SK36X14/05/19651Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Newbold Rd, ChesterfieldSK37R01/06/19631Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Newbold Ave, ChesterfieldSK37R21/05/19601Adultvc57_danes_bc_data

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