73.059 BF2223  –  Noctuidae –  Oncocnemidinae – Calophasia lunula – Toadflax Brocade – (Hufnagel, 1766) Adult Macro:  CAT 1 – Distinctive species unlikely to be confused with others –       PDF Icon – click for Adult Macro Verification Guidelines

Green –  Rare / Uncommon / Scarce   
Taxonomy:   Macro   >>  Noctuidae  >> Oncocnemidinae
ID Difficulty:  green  – easy to identify, generally distinctive and unlikely to be confused with other species.
ID pointers: Fairly unmistakable. Has three white central marks on upper wing which is marbled with shades of brown and grey. Has banded fringes and black basal streaks.
Distribution:  (First record: 7 August 2015 at Sawley, Long Eaton )  –  (Last record: 11 June 2025 at Belper )  –  First record for the VC57 was in 2015. A recent colonist that is generally uncommon with few, but gradually increasing records, mainly from the south of the county. By 2024 the species is regularly breeding in gardens that contain Purple Toadflax, especially in the Sandiacre, Breaston and Long Eaton areas of South Derbyshire. These locations seem to be it’s current stronghold.
Flight Period: May /  June /  July /  August /  –  On the wing May – June and July – August Moth Activity: Nocturnal   – is attracted to light and flowers that are rich in nectar Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Steve Thorpe, Emily Milnes/ Dave Evans  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 2 October 2025 by RP ***
Wingspan: 26-32mm
Forewing: 14-15mm
Food Plant: Common & Purple Toadflax (Linaria spp.)
Last Recorded Year: 2025
First Recorded Year: 2015
Last Recorded By – Dave Evans
Last Recorded General Area – Belper

Selected Images:  Courtesy of Steve Thorpe © – Breaston, Derbyshire  /  Emily Milnes © – Sandiacre 2004/ Bleper (2025) Dave Evans©



Distribution Map for Calophasia lunula

Found 47 records
    ↳ 11 from After 2025
    ↳ 36 from 2020 - 2024
    ↳ 0 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 – Calophasia lunula

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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: Calophasia lunula
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

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


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


CUSUM Analysis: Calophasia lunula
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 8 (August) 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 2025, 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: Calophasia lunula
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Calophasia lunula
( 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 - Calophasia lunula – 47 records available

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

Site NameTetradDateCountStageSource
Derby DESK33I15/08/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Allestree, DerbySK33P14/08/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Chaddesden, DerbySK33T25/08/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Allestree, DerbySK33P29/08/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Allestree, DerbySK33P04/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Chaddesden, DerbySK33T16/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
BelperSK34N11/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Allestree, DerbySK33P10/05/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Ingleby Ave, DerbySK33L19/05/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Chaddesden, DerbySK33T27/05/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sandiacre GardenSK43T30/04/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
NGLTSK43S22/08/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Woodland AveSK43R02/08/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Chaddesden, DerbySK33T28/07/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sandiacre GardenSK43T18/07/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sandiacre GardenSK43T21/07/20241larvavc57_irecords_extract
Chaddesden, DerbySK33T12/06/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Chaddesden, DerbySK33T12/06/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
SandiacreSK43S28/06/20242adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sandiacre GardenSK43T04/06/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Findern, Derbyshire, DEAZSK33A20/06/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Woodland AveSK43R09/05/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Woodland AveSK43R17/05/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
SandiacreSK43T08/09/20233larvavc57_irecords_extract
SandiacreSK43T11/08/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Woodland AveSK43R07/07/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Wensleydale Road, Long EatonSK43R17/06/20232adultvc57_irecords_extract
Woodland AveSK43R23/06/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
IlkestonSK44Q18/09/20222larvavc57_irecords_extract
SandiacreSK43T11/06/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
SandiacreSK43T10/06/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Woodland AveSK43R13/05/20221Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Briar Close, Newhall, SwadlincoteSK22V02/07/20211adultDanes_2019-2021
Woodland AveSK43R15/06/20211adultvc57_irecords_extract
Woodland AveSK43R28/05/20211adultvc57_irecords_extract
Woodland AveSK43R31/05/20212adultvc57_irecords_extract
Elgar Drive, Sawley, Long EatonSK43R31/05/20211adultDanes_2019-2021
Woodland AveSK43R01/08/20201adultvc57_irecords_extract
Woodland AveSK43R09/08/20201adultvc57_irecords_extract
Woodland AveSK43R17/07/20201adultvc57_irecords_extract
Woodland AveSK43R29/07/20201adultvc57_irecords_extract
Woodland AveSK43R02/06/20201adultvc57_irecords_extract
Marlborough Road, Long Eaton, DerbysSK43X20/05/20201adultvc57_irecords_extract
Woodland AveSK43R15/05/20201adultvc57_irecords_extract
Woodland AveSK43R28/05/20201adultvc57_irecords_extract
Woodland AveSK43R30/05/20201adultvc57_irecords_extract
Elgar Drive, Sawley, Long EatonSK43R09/05/20201adultDanes_2019-2021

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