Lead Belle       Chalk Carpet
70.041 BF1734  –  Geometridae –  Larentiinae – Scotopteryx luridata – July Belle – (Fabricius, 1775) Adult Macro:  CAT 3 – Difficult to identify/Very rare/Scarce species (includes very scarce adventives/immigrants)/County-level first records – images or specimen may be required – Difficult to identify /Very rare/Scarce (includes very scarce adventives/immigrants)/County-level first records       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.
Confusion Species:  Lead Belle
ID pointers: Confusion species is the Lead Belle and sometimes the two species are indistinguishable. One of the best ID features is the shape and position of the discal spot – small and rounded in the July Belle (luridata) and “Tear Drop” shaped in the Lead Belle (mucronata). Although this character is not always helpful, it is a good guider, along with flight period and the zig-zag outer most cross-line is usually faint. 
Distribution:  (Last record: 31 July 2020 at Hathersage )  –  A resident species, widely distributed and fairly uncommon at a local level, but scarce to absent in the south of the county. Is most likely to be encountered in the northern half of Derbyshire. Not many records or reports. Last recorded from Kelstedge in August 2013.
Flight Period: June /  July /  August /  –  On the wing between mid June – August – One generation Moth Activity: Nocturnal   – and is attracted to light Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Bryan Barnacle  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 2 October 2025 by RP ***
Wingspan: 17-19mm
Forewing: 15-19mm Food Plant: Gorse, Petty Whin, Dyer’s Greenwood.
Last Recorded Year: 2020
Last Recorded By – Alan Kydd – iRecord
Last Recorded General Area – Hathersage
Selected Images:  Frogatt  – Images by Bryan Barnacle ©

July Belle – Scotopteryx luridata
July Belle – Scotopteryx luridata
July Belle – Scotopteryx luridata


Image Gallery

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Distribution Map for Scotopteryx luridata

Found 32 records
    ↳ 0 from After 2025
    ↳ 0 from 2020 - 2024
    ↳ 32 from Before 2020
Flying
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

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 – Scotopteryx luridata

⚠️ 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.

Visit NBN Site


Monthly Records By Year: Scotopteryx luridata
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
No data returned from the database.

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


First/Last Recorded Dates: Scotopteryx luridata
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: Scotopteryx luridata
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Scotopteryx luridata
AGR: 2.62%   |   Total % Change: 40%


CUSUM Analysis: Scotopteryx luridata
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 22 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 2013, reaching above average levels. The lowest population point occurred near 2012, 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: Scotopteryx luridata
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Scotopteryx luridata
( 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 - Scotopteryx luridata – 32 records available

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

Site NameTetradDateCountStageSource
Not givenSK36H10/08/20131Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Wragg's Quarry, Beeley MoorSK26Y15/07/20131Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Longstone Edge,Great LongstoneSK17W10/07/20132Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Longstone Edge, Great LongstoneSK17W10/07/20132Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Wragg's Quarry, Beeley Moor, BeeleySK26Y15/07/20131Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Longstone Edge,Great LongstoneSK17W05/07/20121Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Longstone Edge, Great LongstoneSK17W05/07/20121Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Longstone Edge,Great LongstoneSK27B29/06/20111Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Shipley Park,IlkestonSK44H26/06/20111Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Longstone Edge,Great LongstoneSK17W31/05/20111Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
School Close,Parkway Gardens,Darley DaleSK26R01/07/20001Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
School Close,Parkway Gardens,Darley DaleSK26R01/07/20001Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Ladycroft Ave,BuxtonSK07S13/07/19961Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Ladycroft Ave, BuxtonSK07S13/07/19961Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Leash Fen HeightsSK27X08/07/19951Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Leash Fen Heights, BaslowSK27X08/07/19951Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
nr West HallamSK44L24/07/19951Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
nr West HallamSK44L24/07/19951Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Leash Fen Heights, BaslowSK27X08/07/19951Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Parkway, New MillsSK08D20/06/19891Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Parkway, New MillsSK08D09/07/19871Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Parkway, New MillsSK08D15/07/19871Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Matlock (Teacher Training College)SK36A10/07/19831Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Drummond Rd, IlkestonSK44R07/08/19801Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Drummond Rd, IlkestonSK44R27/07/19801Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Upper Booth, EdaleSK08X03/07/19801Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Askew Grove, ReptonSK32D20/06/19731Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Newbold Drive, ChesterfieldSK37R14/06/19641Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Manners Wood,BakewellSK26J18/06/19601Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Newbold Ave, ChesterfieldSK37R19/07/19581Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Cutthorpe, ChesterfieldSK37L02/07/19511Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Mickleover, Derby (site not precise)SK33C21/07/19231Adultvc57_danes_bc_data

Lead Belle       Chalk Carpet

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