– click for Adult Macro Verification Guidelines
– Rare / Uncommon / Scarce
– care required in the identification process, as confusion with similar species is likely – quality photographs required. ID pointers: Rather pointed forewings which vary in colour from light grey to tawny brown. The central band is pinched in or narrows at the trailing half. Usually reddish with black borders.
Distribution: (Last record: 19 July 2025 at Glossop ) – A resident that is uncommon and confined to the highest altitudes of the Peak Grit area of Derbyshire. Favours high moorland and grassy hillsides with exposed rock.
*** Last updated on 2 October 2025 by RP ***
Forewing: 12-15mm
Last Recorded Year: 2025
Last Recorded By – Christian Heintzen
Last Recorded General Area – Glossop
Selected Images: Photo by kind permission of Rowan Wakefield © – Buxton – 01/08/2022 / Glossop July 2025 – Christian Heintzen©
Image Gallery
No gallery images found for this moth.
Distribution Map for Xanthorhoe decoloraria
Found 21 records
↳ 1 from After 2025
↳ 0 from 2020 - 2024
↳ 20 from Before 2020
↳ 1 from After 2025
↳ 0 from 2020 - 2024
↳ 20 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 – Xanthorhoe decoloraria
⚠️ 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:
Xanthorhoe decoloraria
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Monthly Counts By Year: Xanthorhoe decoloraria
( data is based on 'Adult' stage records only. )
First/Last Recorded Dates: Xanthorhoe decoloraria
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: Xanthorhoe decoloraria
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Xanthorhoe decoloraria
AGR: -2.76% | Total % Change: -28.6%
CUSUM Analysis: Xanthorhoe decoloraria
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 23 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 2016, reaching above average levels. The lowest population point occurred near 2013, 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: Xanthorhoe decoloraria
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Xanthorhoe decoloraria
Xanthorhoe decoloraria
( 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 - Xanthorhoe decoloraria – 21 records available
Listed by Year - descending - scroll across to see all table columns
| Site Name | Tetrad | Date | Count | Stage | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cown Edge Farm unimproved grassland and willow carr | SK09A | 19/07/2025 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Ladycroft Ave | SK07S | 29/07/2016 | 2 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Macclesfield Rd, Whaley Bridge | SK08A | 03/08/2013 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Arbor Grove, Buxton | SK07L | 06/07/2013 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Arbor Grove, Buxton | SK07L | 14/07/2013 | 2 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Arbor Grove, Buxton | SK07L | 20/07/2013 | 2 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Arbor Grove, Buxton | SK07L | 28/06/2013 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Woodlands, Combs, Chapel en le Frith | SK07P | 18/07/1992 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Woodlands, Combs, Chapel en le Frith | SK07P | 15/08/1991 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Upper Booth, Edale | SK08X | 10/08/1980 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Upper Booth, Edale | SK08X | 14/08/1980 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Upper Booth, Edale | SK08X | 09/08/1980 | 2 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Upper Booth, Edale | SK08X | 13/08/1980 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Upper Booth, Edale | SK08X | 17/08/1980 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Upper Booth, Edale | SK08X | 28/07/1980 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Upper Booth, Edale | SK08X | 24/07/1980 | 2 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Upper Booth, Edale | SK08X | 26/07/1979 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Upper Booth, Edale | SK08X | 29/07/1979 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Upper Booth, Edale | SK08X | 10/08/1978 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Upper Booth, Edale | SK08X | 14/08/1978 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Upper Booth, Edale | SK08X | 09/08/1977 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |