70.040 BF173  –  Geometridae –  Larentiinae – Scotopteryx mucronata – Lead Belle – (Heydemann, 1925) Adult Macro:  CAT 3 – Difficult to identify – Quality set of photographs required – Difficult to identify /Very rare/Scarce (includes very scarce adventives/immigrants)/County-level first records       PDF Icon – click for Adult Macro Verification Guidelines

Green –  Rare / Uncommon / Scarce   
Taxonomy:   Macro   >>  Geometridae  >> Larentiinae
ID Difficulty:  amber  – care required in the identification process, as confusion with similar species is likely – quality photographs required.
Confusion Species:  July Belle
ID pointers: Confusion species is the July Belle and sometimes the two species are indistinguishable. One of the best ID features is the shape and position of the discal spot – small and rounded in the July Belle (luridata) and “Tear Drop” shaped in the Lead Belle (mucronata) and more centrally positioned between the 2nd & 3rd Crosslines. Although this character is not always helpful, it is a good guider, along with flight period. The Zig Zag outermost crossline is also more well defined thann on July Belle. Generally the moth appears more brightly marked than July Belle.
Distribution:  (Last record: 31 May 2018 at Fough )  –  A resident species, scarce and uncommon in Derbyshire. Last recorded May 2018.
General Comment: None
Flight Period: May /  June –  On the wing May – June – one generation – can be easily disturbed from food plant Moth Activity: Diurnal   – and is attracted to light Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Jon Mortin  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 2 October 2025 by RP ***
Wingspan: 15-19mm
Food Plant: Gorse, Broom, Petty Whin and Dyer’s Greenweed
Last Recorded Year: 2018
Last Recorded By – John Mortin – iRecord
Last Recorded General Area – Fough

Selected Images:  Fough, Derbyshire (2018) – Jon Mortin©



 

Distribution Map for Scotopteryx mucronata

Found 16 records
    ↳ from 2026+
    ↳ 1 from 2020 - 2025
    ↳ 15 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 – Scotopteryx mucronata

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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: Scotopteryx mucronata
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

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


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

Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Scotopteryx mucronata
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Scotopteryx mucronata
( 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 2020-2026.

Records Behind the Map and Charts - Scotopteryx mucronata – 16 records available

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

Site NameTetradDateCountStageSource
HathersageSK28F31/07/20201adultvc57_irecords_extract
FoughSK06N31/05/20181adultvc57_irecords_extract
Matlock (Teacher Training College)SK36A10/06/19821Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Matlock CollegeSK36A12/07/19771adultvc57_irecords_extract
Matlock (Teacher Training College)SK36A12/07/19771Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Church St,Holloway,MatlockSK35I23/06/19761Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Matlock (Teacher Training College)SK36A22/06/19741Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Matlock (Teacher Training College)SK36A21/06/19741Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Carterhall Woods, Gleadless Townend, SheffieldSK38V01/06/19701Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Welbeck Rd, BolsoverSK47V13/07/19691Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Welbeck Rd, BolsoverSK47Q11/07/19691Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Moorend, Beeley, MatlockSK26T03/07/19591Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Moorend, Beeley, MatlockSK26T25/06/19592Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Berry St, Hepthorne LaneSK46C03/07/19531Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Berry St, Hepthorne LaneSK46C02/07/19531Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Berry St, Hepthorne LaneSK46C23/06/19531Adultvc57_danes_bc_data

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