73.023 BF2440  –  Noctuidae –  Plusiinae – Plusia putnami – Lempke's Gold Spot – Lempke, 1966 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  >> Plusiinae
ID Difficulty:  amber  – care required in the identification process, as confusion with similar species is likely – quality photographs required.
Confusion Species:  Gold Spot
ID pointers: A similar species to Gold Spot that can often be difficult to separate. However the following can be useful to identify the species visually. The slightly smaller size / The white “sub-apical wedge” is shorter and blunter / A smaller outer median spot /  The faint post median line is gently angled inwards / Forewing is usually orange-brown but is variable.
Distribution:  (First record: 2004 )  –  (Last record: 2 September 2024 at Charlesworth )  –  A resident that is a scarce species in Derbyshire. First recorded in 2004, it seems to be most regularly recorded from the west of the county.
Flight Period: June /  July /  August /  September /  –  On the wing June – September.  Moth Activity: Nocturnal   – and is attracted to light Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Ashlin Bower, Simon Roddis  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 21 July 2025 by WS ***
Wingspan: 34-42mm
Forewing: 14-15mm
Food Plant: Small-reed (Calamogrostis spp.).
Last Recorded Year: 2024
First Recorded Year: 2004
Last Recorded By – Christian Heintzen
Last Recorded General Area – Charlesworth

IMAGES BELOW:  Darley Dale, Derbyshire – Simon Roddis © / Barber Booth, Edale, Derbyshire – Ashlin Bower ©

Distribution Map for Plusia putnami

Found 57 records
    ↳ 12 from After 2025
    ↳ 31 from 2020 - 2024
    ↳ 14 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 – Plusia putnami

⚠️ 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: Plusia putnami
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

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


First/Last Recorded Dates: Plusia putnami
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: Plusia putnami
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Plusia putnami
AGR: 3.94%   |   Total % Change: 125%


CUSUM Analysis: Plusia putnami
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 11 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 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: Plusia putnami
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Plusia putnami
( 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 - Plusia putnami – 57 records available

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

TaxonSite NameTetradYearDateCountStageSource
Plusia putnamiMellorSJ98Z202512/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiMellorSJ98Z202513/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiLadycroft Ave, BuxtonSK07S202514/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiLongdendale, Long Gutter Edge WoodlandSK09U202508/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiCharlesworth,Coombs RocksSK09A202509/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiLongdendale, Torside willow and larch woodSK09U202513/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiCown Edge Farm unimproved grassland and willow carrSK09A202519/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiLongdendale, Torside Clough mSK09T202522/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiMellorSJ98Z202517/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiGlossop, Gnat Hole Rough FieldsSK09L202516/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiGlossop, Gnat Hole Rough FieldsSK09L202524/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiCown Edge Farm marshSK09A202530/06/202516adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiCharlesworth, Cown Edge LandslideSK09A202402/09/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiLadycroft Ave, BuxtonSK07S202401/08/20242adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiCross Green, Matlock DEJW, UKSK26Q202403/08/20241Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiGlossop, Gnat Hole Rough FieldsSK09L202401/08/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiLongdendale, Torside CloughSK09T202417/08/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiMellorSJ98Z202419/07/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiOwler Bar, Sheffield SBQ, UKSK27U202424/07/20241Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiStaveley DerbyshireSK47H202422/07/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiGlossop SK, UKSK09B202431/07/20241Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiLadycroft Ave, BuxtonSK07S202424/07/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiLadycroft Ave, BuxtonSK07S202429/07/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiGlossop, Northwest of TwitchlingsSK09L202421/07/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiDerbyshire Wild Life Trust Herod CloughSK09G202429/07/20243adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiBirch ValeSK08I202424/07/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiBirch ValeSK08I202426/07/20242adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiGlossop, Hague Street, Hay meadowSK09G202310/08/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiBirch ValeSK08I202305/07/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiBirch ValeSK08I202324/06/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiBuxton SK, UKSK07S202229/08/20221Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiHathersage, Derbyshire, UKSK28F202219/07/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiHathersage, Derbyshire, UKSK28F202210/07/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiBuxton SK, UKSK07S202211/07/20221Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiBirch ValeSK08I202211/07/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiLadycroft AveSK07S202217/07/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiLadycroft Ave, BuxtonSK07S202229/07/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiHathersage, Derbyshire, UKSK28F202113/07/20212adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiBirch ValeSK08I202115/07/20211Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiLadycroft Ave, BuxtonSK07S202125/07/20211adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiLadycroft Ave, BuxtonSK07S202126/07/20211adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiBirch ValeSK08I202006/07/20202adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiBirch ValeSK08I202031/07/20201adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiHathersage, Derbyshire, UKSK28F201925/07/20191adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiYew Tree FarmSK36H201822/07/20181adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiBirch ValeSK08I201814/07/20181adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiBirch ValeSK08I201711/08/20172adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiBirch ValeSK08I201724/07/20174adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiYew Tree FarmSK36H201621/06/20161adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiBirch ValeSK08I201518/07/20151adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiBirch ValeSK08I201405/07/20141adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiMacclesfield Rd, Whaley BridgeSK08A201312/07/20132Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Plusia putnamiBuxton SK, UKSK07S201019/07/20101Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Plusia putnamiDovedaleSK15K201030/07/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Plusia putnamiThe Hollies,Station Rd,Darley DaleSK26R201004/07/20101Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Plusia putnamiSchool Close,Parkway Gardens,Darley DaleSK26R200421/07/20041Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Plusia putnamiSchool Close,Parkway Gardens,Darley DaleSK26R200421/07/20041Adultvc57_danes_bc_data

Scroll to Top