73.354 BF2131  –  Noctuidae –  Noctuinae – Xestia stigmatica – Square-spotted Clay – (Esper, 1790) Adult Macro:  CAT 2 – Can be confused with other species – Can be confused with other species       PDF Icon – click for Adult Macro Verification Guidelines

Brown –  Significant Record / Very Rare / Vagrant    
Taxonomy:   Macro   >>  Noctuidae  >> Noctuinae
** Photograph required **
ID Difficulty:  amber  – care required in the identification process, as confusion with similar species is likely – quality photographs required.
Distribution:  (First record: 1895 )  –  (Last record: 19 August 2021 at Hathersage )  –  Current status uncertain in the county – 1 record in 1895, then recorded in 1997 & 2002. Two verified records from 2021, one on 19th August and one on 31st July, both from Hathersage.
Flight Period: July /  August /  –  Late July – August Moth Activity: Nocturnal  Photographed: No –  Photographed By: Not Recorded
*** Last updated on 22 July 2025 by WS ***
Wingspan: 37-44mm
Forewing: 17-20mm
Food Plant: Including Bramble (Rubus fruticosus) and Birch (Betula).
Last Recorded Year: 2021
First Recorded Year: 1895
Last Recorded By – Clare Blues
Last Recorded General Area – Hathersage

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Distribution Map for Xestia stigmatica

Found 8 records
    ↳ 0 from After 2025
    ↳ 2 from 2020 - 2024
    ↳ 6 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 – Xestia stigmatica

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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.

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Monthly Records By Year: Xestia stigmatica
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

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


First/Last Recorded Dates: Xestia stigmatica
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: Xestia stigmatica
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Xestia stigmatica
AGR: 4.69%   |   Total % Change: 150%


CUSUM Analysis: Xestia stigmatica
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 22 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 2021, reaching above average levels. The lowest population point occurred near 2008, 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: Xestia stigmatica
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Xestia stigmatica
( 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 - Xestia stigmatica – 8 records available

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

TaxonSite NameTetradYearDateCountStageSource
Xestia stigmaticaNinelands RoadSK28F202119/08/20214adultvc57_irecords_extract
Xestia stigmaticaNinelands RoadSK28F202131/07/20211adultvc57_irecords_extract
Xestia stigmaticaFar Cross,Cavendish Park,MatlockSK36A200825/07/20081Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Xestia stigmaticaAsh Brook,Ashley Close,TansleySK35J200612/07/20061Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Xestia stigmaticaBakewell (Milford, meadows)SK26E200127/08/20011Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Xestia stigmaticaFar Cross,Cavendish Park,MatlockSK36A199709/08/19971Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Xestia stigmaticaBakewell area (site not precise)SK26E189517/07/18951Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Xestia stigmaticaBakewell area (site not precise)SK26E189517/07/18951Adultvc57_danes_bc_data

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