– 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: Dark brown markings help to highlight the white veins running through the central area of the forewing. There is a small white central spot at the end of one of the major veins and this is less obvious in pale specimens. The early flying period helps to identify this moth from other Wainscots.
Distribution: (First record: 7 June 2008 at Drakelow WR ) – (Last record: 25 June 2025 at Belper ) – First recorded in Derbyshire at Drakelow Reserve, near Burton-on-Trent on 7th June 2008, and recorded from their frequently since. Account taken from DaNES Journal 162 – 2008. The species favours wetland with expanse of phragmites reed beds. Further trapping in areas of common reed may discover other colonies. A new site for the species was at Newall, discovered in 2018. A few records in 2023, including a rather odd ball one from Hathersage on 24th June, which could have referred to a migrant. Only a handful of records in 2024 so this species remains rare in the county.
*** Last updated on 2 October 2025 by RP ***
Forewing: 15-18mm
Last Recorded Year: 2025
First Recorded Year: 2008
Last Recorded By – Dave Newcombe
Last Recorded General Area – Belper
Selected Images: 24th June 2023 – Hathersage – The late Claire Miles© / Belper 25th June 2025 – Dave Newcombe©
Image Gallery
No gallery images found for this moth.
Distribution Map for Leucania obsoleta
Found 29 records
↳ 4 from After 2025
↳ 17 from 2020 - 2024
↳ 8 from Before 2020
↳ 4 from After 2025
↳ 17 from 2020 - 2024
↳ 8 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 – Leucania obsoleta
⚠️ 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:
Leucania obsoleta
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Monthly Counts By Year: Leucania obsoleta
( data is based on 'Adult' stage records only. )
First/Last Recorded Dates: Leucania obsoleta
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: Leucania obsoleta
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Leucania obsoleta
AGR: -4% | Total % Change: -50%
CUSUM Analysis: Leucania obsoleta
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 15 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 2021, 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: Leucania obsoleta
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Leucania obsoleta
Leucania obsoleta
( 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 - Leucania obsoleta – 29 records available
Listed by Year - descending - scroll across to see all table columns
| Site Name | Tetrad | Date | Count | Stage | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drakelow, Derbys. | SK22F | 10/06/2025 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Midway, Derbys. | SK32A | 14/06/2025 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Allestree, Derby | SK33P | 12/06/2025 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Belper, Derbyshire | SK34N | 25/06/2025 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Stonebroom | SK45E | 05/07/2024 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Markham Vale South Tip | SK47L | 23/06/2024 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Darley Bridge | SK26Q | 25/06/2024 | 1 | Adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Markham Vale South Tip | SK47K | 26/06/2024 | 14 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Darley Bridge | SK26Q | 24/06/2024 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Sandiacre Garden | SK43T | 22/06/2024 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Middleton by Wirksworth | SK25T | 02/07/2023 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Hathersage, Derbyshire, UK | SK28F | 24/06/2023 | 2 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Woodland Ave | SK43R | 23/06/2023 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Sandiacre | SK43T | 23/06/2023 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Woodland Ave | SK43R | 12/06/2022 | 1 | Adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Woodland Ave | SK43R | 25/06/2022 | 1 | Adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Hathersage, Derbyshire, UK | SK28F | 17/06/2022 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Findern, Derbyshire, DEAZ | SK33A | 16/06/2022 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Not given | SK22F | 08/07/2021 | 11 | Adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Drakelow, Derbys. | SK22F | 08/07/2021 | 11 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Woodland Ave | SK43R | 02/06/2020 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Drakelow NR (Minton's Lagoon), Burton on Trent | SK22F | 27/06/2015 | 9 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Drakelow NR (Minton's Lagoon), Burton on Trent | SK22F | 21/06/2014 | 4 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Drakelow NR (Minton's Lagoon), Burton on Trent | SK22F | 29/06/2013 | 2 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Drakelow NR (Minton's Lagoon), Burton on Trent | SK22F | 29/06/2013 | 2 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Drakelow NR (Minton's Lagoon), Burton on Trent | SK22F | 17/06/2010 | 2 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Drakelow NR (Minton's Lagoon), Burton on Trent | SK22F | 17/06/2010 | 2 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Drakelow NR (Minton's Lagoon), Burton on Trent | SK22F | 07/06/2008 | 2 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |
| Drakelow NR (Minton's Lagoon), Burton on Trent | SK22F | 07/06/2008 | 2 | Adult | vc57_danes_bc_data |