– click for Adult Macro Verification Guidelines
– Significant Record / Very Rare / Vagrant
– easy to identify, generally distinctive and unlikely to be confused with other species.ID pointers: Due to late flight period, makes this an unmistakeable moth. Broad forewing. Long black basal streak is a constant feature. Forewing usual a light cold greyish-brown.
Distribution: (Last record: 9 November 2021 at Kings Newton ) – A resident that is now rare in Derbyshire. A species that was once widespread in the county, now restricted to a few sites in the Trent Valley. Last recorded in 2021.
*** Last updated on 2 October 2025 by RP ***
Forewing: 17-22mm
Last Recorded Year: 2021
Last Recorded By – Will Soar
Last Recorded General Area – Kings Newton
Selected Images: Kings Newton, 9th November 2021 – Tony Davison ©
Image Gallery
No gallery images found for this moth.
Distribution Map for Asteroscopus sphinx
Found 19 records
↳ 0 from After 2025
↳ 1 from 2020 - 2024
↳ 18 from Before 2020
↳ 0 from After 2025
↳ 1 from 2020 - 2024
↳ 18 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 – Asteroscopus sphinx
⚠️ 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:
Asteroscopus sphinx
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Monthly Counts By Year: Asteroscopus sphinx
( data is based on 'Adult' stage records only. )
First/Last Recorded Dates: Asteroscopus sphinx
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: Asteroscopus sphinx
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Asteroscopus sphinx
AGR: 0% | Total % Change: 0%
CUSUM Analysis: Asteroscopus sphinx
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 24 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 2004, reaching above average levels. The lowest population point occurred near 2004, 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: Asteroscopus sphinx
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Asteroscopus sphinx
Asteroscopus sphinx
( 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 - Asteroscopus sphinx – 19 records available
Listed by Year - descending - scroll across to see all table columns
| Site Name | Tetrad | Date | Count | Stage | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main Street, Kings Newton | SK32Y | 09/11/2021 | 1 | Adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Ilkeston (Court House) | SK44Q | 05/12/2004 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Ilkeston (Court House) | SK44Q | 05/12/2004 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Ilkeston (Court House) | SK44Q | 25/11/1999 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Ilkeston (Court House) | SK44Q | 25/11/1999 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Ilkeston (Court House) | SK44Q | 13/12/1998 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Ilkeston (Court House) | SK44Q | 17/12/1998 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Ilkeston (Court House) | SK44Q | 17/12/1995 | 2 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Ilkeston (Court House) | SK44Q | 19/12/1995 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Ilkeston (Victoria Park Bandstand) | SK44R | 08/11/1990 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Ilkeston (Victoria Park Bandstand) | SK44R | 08/11/1990 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Skinner St, Creswell, Worksop | SK57H | 08/09/1982 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Ilkeston (Victoria Park Bandstand) | SK44R | 11/12/1981 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Carvers Rocks, Hartshorne, Swadlincote | SK32G | 01/12/1979 | 3 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Carvers Rocks, Hartshorne, Swadlincote | SK32G | 14/11/1979 | 5 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Carvers Rocks, Hartshorne, Swadlincote | SK32G | 17/10/1979 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Carvers Rocks, Hartshorne, Swadlincote | SK32G | 26/10/1979 | 2 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Carvers Rocks, Hartshorne, Swadlincote | SK32G | 31/10/1979 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Newbold Ave, Chesterfield | SK37R | 30/10/1971 | 1 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |