70.025 BF1692  –  Geometridae –  Sterrhinae – Scopula immutata – Lesser Cream Wave – (Linnaeus, 1758) Adult Macro:  CAT 4 – Dissection required – Dissection required       PDF Icon – click for Adult Macro Verification Guidelines

Green –  Rare / Uncommon / Scarce   
Taxonomy:   Macro   >>  Geometridae  >> Sterrhinae
** Photograph required **
ID Difficulty:  amber  – care required in the identification process, as confusion with similar species is likely – quality photographs required.
ID pointers: Similar to Cream Wave, but smaller with less pointed forewing tip. Often shows central black spots on each wing, with the strongest marked in the hind wing. 
Distribution:  (Last record: 12 July 2023 at Belper )  –  Current status uncertain but thought to be uncommon and locally distributed at low density in old woodland of central Derbyshire.
Flight Period: June /  July /  August /  –  On the wing – June – August Moth Activity: Nocturnal  Crepuscular  – flies from dusk, into the night. Photographed: No –  Photographed By: Not Recorded
*** Last updated on 2 October 2025 by RP ***
Wingspan: 24-27mm
Forewing: 12-13mm
Food Plant: Meadowsweet, Common Valerian.
Last Recorded Year: 2023
Last Recorded By – Dave Evans
Last Recorded General Area – Belper

Selected Images:  No images



 

Distribution Map for Scopula immutata

Found 6 records
    ↳ 0 from After 2025
    ↳ 3 from 2020 - 2024
    ↳ 3 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 – Scopula immutata

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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: Scopula immutata
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

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


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


CUSUM Analysis: Scopula immutata
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 24 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 2014, reaching above average levels. The lowest population point occurred near 2014, 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: Scopula immutata
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Scopula immutata
( 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 - Scopula immutata – 6 records available

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

Site NameTetradDateCountStageSource
Belper GardenSK34P07/07/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
BelperSK34N12/07/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
BelperSK34N04/07/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
cotteril farm barnSK15P27/07/20141adultvc57_irecords_extract
Priestcliffe Lees (Comp W), TaddingtonSK17L06/07/19961Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Priestcliffe Lees (Comp W), TaddingtonSK17L06/07/19961Adultvc57_danes_bc_data

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