– click for Adult Macro Verification Guidelines
– Generally Common / Widespread
– easy to identify, generally distinctive and unlikely to be confused with other species.ID pointers: A characteristic “Crashed Aircraft” posture at rest, with wings folded around the body. This distinctive moth closely resembles a broken twig. A cold grey and whitish forewing. A large and prominent kidney mark. The outer most cross-band contains several black arrow head markings. Some have an obvious dark central band.
Distribution: A resident that is locally common and widely distributed on the upland gritstone moors of North Derbyshire, where it is restricted as a moorland species in the county. Under recorded.
*** Last updated on 2 October 2025 by RP ***
Forewing: 18-21mm
Blue-coded] moths are not stored on the website at this current time. Selected Images: Wildboar Clough, Longdendale, Derbyshire – August 2023 – Christian Heintzen©
Image Gallery
No gallery images found for this moth.
Distribution Map for Xylena solidaginis
Found 31 records
↳ 0 from After 2025
↳ 7 from 2020 - 2024
↳ 24 from Before 2020
↳ 0 from After 2025
↳ 7 from 2020 - 2024
↳ 24 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.
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 – Xylena solidaginis
⚠️ 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.
Monthly Records By Year:
Xylena solidaginis
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Monthly Counts By Year: Xylena solidaginis
( data is based on 'Adult' stage records only. )
First/Last Recorded Dates: Xylena solidaginis
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: Xylena solidaginis
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Xylena solidaginis
AGR: 0% | Total % Change: 0%
CUSUM Analysis: Xylena solidaginis
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 21 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 2023, reaching above average levels. The lowest population point occurred near 2016, 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: Xylena solidaginis
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Xylena solidaginis
Xylena solidaginis
( 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 - Xylena solidaginis – 31 records available
Listed by Year - descending - scroll across to see all table columns
| Site Name | Tetrad | Date | Count | Stage | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glossop, Gnat Hole Rough Fields | SK09L | 07/08/2024 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Glossop, Upper Bray Clough | SK09K | 10/08/2024 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Glossop, The Twitchlings | SK09K | 26/08/2024 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Glossop, Black Moor (m altitude) | SK09Q | 15/08/2023 | 2 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Glossop, Gnat Hole Rough Fields | SK09L | 21/08/2023 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Glossop, Moorfield, Wood's Cabin | SK09L | 25/08/2023 | 3 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Glossop, Upper Bray Clough | SK09K | 27/08/2023 | 10 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Birch Vale | SK08I | 05/08/2019 | 2 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Lightwood | SK07M | 30/08/2016 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Glossop (Shire Hill Quarry) | SK09M | 01/09/2008 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| The Field,Shipley,Ilkeston | SK44M | 17/08/1995 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| White Brow (woodland), Hayfield | SK08P | 11/08/1994 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Beeley Moor, Beeley (site not precies) | SK26Z | 14/08/1994 | 12 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Beeley Moor, Beeley (site not precies) | SK26Z | 25/08/1991 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Slagmill Plantation, Beeley Moor (site not precise) | SK36E | 31/08/1991 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Beeley Moor, Beeley (site not precies) | SK26Z | 26/08/1990 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Beeley Moor, Beeley (site not precies) | SK26Z | 22/08/1982 | 2 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Slagmill Plantation,Beeley Moor | SK36E | 01/09/1979 | 2 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Slagmill Plantation,Beeley Moor | SK36E | 29/08/1979 | 3 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Beeley Moor, Beeley (site not precies) | SK26Z | 01/09/1973 | 2 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Whitesprings, Darley Dale (site not precise) | SK26R | 20/06/1971 | 1 | Larvae | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Whitesprings, Darley Dale (site not precise) | SK26R | 20/06/1971 | 1 | Larvae | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Beeley Moor, Beeley (site not precies) | SK26Z | 10/08/1968 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Wragg's Quarry,Rowsley Moor | SK26Y | 31/08/1968 | 6 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Gladwin's Mark, Beeley Moor | SK36D | 10/09/1960 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Gladwin's Mark, Beeley Moor | SK36D | 20/08/1960 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Moorend, Beeley, Matlock | SK26T | 01/09/1959 | 2 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Beeley Moor, Beeley (site not precies) | SK26Z | 15/08/1959 | 2 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Wragg's Quarry,Rowsley Moor | SK26Y | 18/08/1957 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Sydnope Hall, Two Dales, Matlock | SK26Z | 31/08/1957 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Beeley Moor, Beeley (site not precies) | SK26Z | 15/08/1957 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |