49.01 – BF1009 – Heath Tortrix – Philedonides lunana – (Thunberg, 1784)
Adult Micro: CAT 2 – Can be confused with other species –
– click for General Verification Guidelines | – click for Specific Verification Guidelines
– click for General Verification Guidelines | – click for Specific Verification Guidelines 
– Uncertain/Unknown – Insufficient Data 
– Day-flying
– easy to identify, generally distinctive and unlikely to be confused with other species.ID pointers: The males are relatively dull brown, including a diffuse basal patch and have bipectinate antennae, the females have more distinctive chestnut brown markings on a whitish to greyish-buff ground colour.
Distribution: (Last record: 24 March 2025 at Glossop ) – Nationally Scarce B – A characteristic species of the gritstone moorlands.Rarely recorded away from this habitat in Derbyshire. But so few modern day records. Would suspect locally common in the recording area on the heather moorlands.
General Comment: None *** Last updated on 2 October 2025 by RP ***
Last Recorded Year: 2025
Last Recorded By – Christian Heintzen
Last Recorded General Area – Glossop
Selected Images: Buxton, Derbyshire – Steve Orridge© – a female / Glossop area (2025) Christian Heintzen©
Image Gallery
Temporal Distribution Chart
Adults: (between 1995 - 2025)
(click legend below to show/hide datasets)
Distribution Map for Philedonides lunana
Found 17 records
↳ from 2026+
↳ 9 from 2020 - 2025
↳ 8 from Before 2020
↳ from 2026+
↳ 9 from 2020 - 2025
↳ 8 from Before 2020
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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 – Philedonides lunana
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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.
Monthly Records By Year:
Philedonides lunana
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Monthly Counts By Year:
Philedonides lunana
( data is based on 'Adult' stage records only )
First/Last Recorded Dates: Philedonides lunana
Adult-only & Anything [Larvae, Pupae, Adult, Mines]
Shading shows moth presence between dates
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Recordings By Year: Philedonides lunana
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Philedonides lunana
AGR: 5.91% | Total % Change: 181.3%
Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Philedonides lunana
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Philedonides lunana
Philedonides lunana
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 - Philedonides lunana – 17 records available
Listed by Year - descending - scroll across to see all table columns
| Site Name | Tetrad | Date | Count | Stage | Recorder | Source | RecordKey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leygatehead & Middle Moor above Little Hayfield | SK08P | 11/04/2025 | 10 | adult | Heintzen, Christian | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC43978954 |
| Leygatehead & Middle Moor above Little Hayfield | SK08P | 11/04/2025 | 1 | adult | Heintzen, Christian | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC43978957 |
| Torside Clough | SK09T | 08/04/2025 | 1 | adult | Heintzen, Christian | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC43978939 |
| Torside Clough | SK09T | 08/04/2025 | 3 | adult | Heintzen, Christian | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC43978940 |
| Torside Clough | SK09T | 08/04/2025 | 20 | adult | Heintzen, Christian | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC43978943 |
| Ramsley Reservoir , Derbyshire | SK27X | 04/04/2025 | 1 | adult | Morris, Sid | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC40663276 |
| Harewood Moor | SK36D | 31/03/2025 | 6 | adult | Ashton, Clive | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC40568875 |
| Chunal Moor | SK09F | 24/03/2025 | 3 | adult | Heintzen, Christian | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC43978899 |
| Buxton | SK07T | 14/04/2021 | 1 | adult | Orridge, Steve | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC20230614 |
| Combs Moss, Buxton | SK07N | 20/04/2019 | 1 | Adult | Orridge, Steve | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC22621111 |
| Combs Moss | SK07M | 19/04/2018 | 4 | adult | Steve H Hind, Steve A Orridge | vc57_irecords_extract | iBRC49168443 |
| Beeley Moor, Beeley | SK26Y | 17/05/2011 | 1 | Adult | A. Butler | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001CP6VQ |
| School Close,Parkway Gardens,Darley Dale | SK26R | 04/05/2011 | 1 | Adult | A. Butler | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001CP6UB |
| Wragg's Quarry,Rowsley Moor | SK26Y | 09/05/2009 | 1 | Adult | B.L. Statham | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001CP4MM |
| Wragg's Quarry,Rowsley Moor | SK26Y | 23/04/2009 | 1 | Adult | B.L. Statham | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001COWPE |
| Beeley Moor, Beeley | SK26Y | 08/04/2007 | 2 | Adult | B.L. Statham | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001COS2L |
| Slagmill Plantation (bog area), Beeley Moor (site not precise) | SK36E | 11/04/1995 | 1 | Adult | VC57 Derbyshire Recorder | vc57_danes_bc_data | LC000334001CP15M |