70.172 BF1843  –  Geometridae –  Larentiinae – Eupithecia distinctaria – Thyme Pug – (Herrich-Schäffer, 1848) Adult Macro:  CAT 2 – Can be confused with other species – Good photographs maybe required – Can be confused with other species       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.
ID pointers: Well patterned with 4 or 5 wavy cross-lines across fore & hind wings. An obvious diagonal black dash in central area of forewing. 
Distribution:  A resident that is scarce to locally common in the limestone dales. Possibly under recorded.
General Comment: None
Flight Period: June /  July –  June – July Moth Activity: Nocturnal  Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Rowan Wakefield  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 2 October 2025 by RP ***
Wingspan: 16-18mm
Food Plant: Thyme (Thymus spp.).
Last Recorded By – Not Recorded
Last Recorded General Area – Not Recorded

Selected Images:  Photo by kind permission of Rowan Wakefield © – Buxton trapped overnight 16th/17th June 2022.



Distribution Map for Eupithecia distinctaria

Found 16 records
    ↳ from 2026+
    ↳ 7 from 2020 - 2025
    ↳ 9 from Before 2020
Flying
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

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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 – Eupithecia distinctaria

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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: Eupithecia distinctaria
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

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


First/Last Recorded Dates: Eupithecia distinctaria
Adult-only & Anything [Larvae, Pupae, Adult, Mines]

Shading shows moth presence between dates

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Recordings By Year: Eupithecia distinctaria
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Eupithecia distinctaria
AGR: 1.81%   |   Total % Change: 33.3%

Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Eupithecia distinctaria
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Eupithecia distinctaria
( 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 - Eupithecia distinctaria – 16 records available

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

Site NameTetradDateCountStageSource
upper cromford gardenSK25Y24/06/20252adultvc57_irecords_extract
upper cromford gardenSK25Y21/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
upper cromford gardenSK25Y08/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Via GelliaSK25T24/06/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
upper cromford gardenSK25Y24/06/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Ferneydale AvenueSK07Q18/06/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Grin Plantation, BuxtonSK07L09/07/20211adultvc57_irecords_extract
DovedaleSK15K05/07/20091Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K05/07/20091Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
DovedaleSK15K05/07/20091Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Bonsall Moor, BonsallSK26V28/07/200140Larvaevc57_danes_bc_data
Coombs Dale (site not precise), Stoney MiddletonSK27D19/08/19889Larvaevc57_danes_bc_data
Coombs Dale (site not precise), Stoney MiddletonSK27D17/08/19887Larvaevc57_danes_bc_data
Dovedale (stepping stones)SK15K12/06/19861Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Dovedale (site not precise)SK15K15/06/19841Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Dovedale (site not precise)SK15K02/06/19841Adultvc57_danes_bc_data

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