Water Carpet       Northern Winter Moth
70.104 BF1751  –  Geometridae –  Larentiinae – Lampropteryx otregiata – Devon Carpet – (Metcalfe, 1917) Adult Macro:  CAT 2 – Can be confused with other species – 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.
Confusion Species:  Water Carpet, Small Phoenix, Phoenix and certain varieties of Broken-barred Carpet
ID pointers: The moth is very much like a small version of Water Carpet, but forewing is less tapering and more rounded with a paler and less contrasting central band. The outer edge, first third of central cross-band, is straighter than Water Carpet and the inner edge is irregular with  less sharp indentations.Christian Heintzen has commented as follows – “I find the tapered, tongue-shaped outline of the forewing the most easily recognisable feature in the field. Devon Carpet is also significantly smaller than Water Carpet but without comparison that is sometimes difficult to judge”. See ID Guide by Christian Heintzen below.
Further ID Pointers: 🔗 Devon v Water Carpet ID Reference, 🔗 Devon -v- Water Carpet ID Part 2
Distribution:  (Last record: 24 August 2024 at Ludworth Moor )  –  First record was a specimen in 1984 from a wood near Ashbourne. Next record was one trapped in August 2011 from a wood near Darley Dale & 2 more from same site – May 2012. Next (5th record) was from a garden in Darley Dale in August 2013. There seems to be a well established and localised colony in the NW area of Derbyshire, especially on the high moorland woodlands. Recent records from Cromford in 2022 and Buxton in May 2023. Maybe expanding range north-eastwards. Good numbers were recorded from Glossop, wherever there was wet woodland habitat, during 2022 to 2024.
Flight Period: May /  June /  August /  September /  –  On the wing between  May – June and August – September. Two generations Moth Activity: Nocturnal   – and is attracted to light Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Christian Heintzen, Simon Roddis, Steve Orridge  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 2 October 2025 by RP ***
Forewing: 12-14mm Food Plant: Marsh Bedstraw (Galium palustre) and possibly also Fen Bedstraw (Galium uliginosum).
Last Recorded Year: 2024
Last Recorded By – Christian Heintzen
Last Recorded General Area – Ludworth Moor
Selected Images:  Glossop, Derbyshire 2022 & 2023 – Christian Heintzen© has produced some stunning images and identification comparisons below.  Darley Dale, Derbyshire – Images by Simon Roddis© 2013,  Andy Butler© 2011 and Steve Orridge© May 2023. 
 
70.104 BF1751 - Devon Carpet - Geometridae - Lampropteryx otregiata
Devon Carpet – Lampropteryx otregiata – by kind permission of Christian Heinzten
70.104 BF1751 - Devon Carpet - Geometridae - Lampropteryx otregiata
Devon Carpet – Lampropteryx otregiata – by kind permission of Christian Heinzten
70.104 BF1751 - Devon Carpet - Geometridae - Lampropteryx otregiata
Darley Dale – Trapped 27th August 2011 – 2nd record for Derbyshire – Andy Butler©
Devon Carpet - Lampropteryx otregiata
Buxton – Steve Orridge©- 24th July 2014
70.104 BF1751 - Devon Carpet - Geometridae - Lampropteryx otregiata
70.104 BF1751 - Devon Carpet - Geometridae - Lampropteryx otregiata
70.104 BF1751 - Devon Carpet - Geometridae - Lampropteryx otregiata
Devon Carpet - Lampropteryx otregiata


Image Gallery

No gallery images found for this moth.


Distribution Map for Lampropteryx otregiata

Found 38 records
    ↳ 4 from After 2025
    ↳ 27 from 2020 - 2024
    ↳ 7 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 – Lampropteryx otregiata

⚠️ 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: Lampropteryx otregiata
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

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


First/Last Recorded Dates: Lampropteryx otregiata
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: Lampropteryx otregiata
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Lampropteryx otregiata
AGR: 2.94%   |   Total % Change: 50%


CUSUM Analysis: Lampropteryx otregiata
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 18 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 2012, reaching above average levels. The lowest population point occurred near 2022, 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: Lampropteryx otregiata
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Lampropteryx otregiata
( 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 - Lampropteryx otregiata – 38 records available

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

Site NameTetradDateCountStageSource
Dinting Nature ReserveSK09C06/08/20252adultvc57_irecords_extract
Shirland - Hallfieldgate LaneSK35Z08/08/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Derbyshire Wild Life Trust Long CloughSK09G20/06/20252adultvc57_irecords_extract
Glossop, Gnat Hole Rough FieldsSK09L13/05/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Beresford DaleSK15J11/08/20241Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Torside Reservoir northeast endSK09U03/08/202410adultvc57_irecords_extract
Derbyshire Wild Life Trust Long CloughSK09G23/08/20242adultvc57_irecords_extract
Ludworth MoorSJ99V24/08/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Derbyshire, UKSK15J11/08/20241Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Beresford DaleSK15J11/08/20241Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Holmesfield, Dronfield SWG, UKSK27X31/08/20241Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Birch ValeSK08I13/08/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
WardlowSK17X13/08/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Cote Heath Allotments, BuxtonSK07R10/08/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
MellorSJ98Z29/07/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Torside Reservoir southeast endSK09U28/07/20242adultvc57_irecords_extract
Derbyshire Wild Life Trust Herod CloughSK09G29/07/20242adultvc57_irecords_extract
Beeley, Matlock DENW, UKSK26U20/05/20241Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Glossop, Gnat Hole Rough FieldsSK09L13/05/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Glossop, The TwitchlingsSK09M17/05/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Castleton Road, Hathersage, Hope Valley SEH, UKSK28F15/08/20231Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Derbyshire Wild Life Trust Long CloughSK09G06/08/20233adultvc57_irecords_extract
Glossop, Gnat Hole Rough FieldsSK09L19/08/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Derbyshire Wild Life Trust Long CloughSK09G28/07/20233adultvc57_irecords_extract
Hathersage, Derbyshire, UKSK28F10/06/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Glossop, The TwitchlingsSK09K03/06/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Glossop, Gnat Hole Rough FieldsSK09L19/06/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Buxton SK, UKSK07S27/05/20231Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Derbyshire Wild Life Trust Long CloughSK09G16/05/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Lower Cromford GardenSK25Y07/08/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Glossop, The TwitchlingsSK09K27/08/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Birch ValeSK08I12/08/20181adultvc57_irecords_extract
Waingroves WoodsSK44E05/08/20171adultvc57_irecords_extract
Clough Wood,Darley DaleSK26K25/05/20122Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Clough Wood,Darley DaleSK26K25/05/20122Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Clough Wood,Darley DaleSK26K27/07/20111Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Holly Wood NR, nr AshbourneSK14R05/09/19841Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Holly Wood NR, Edlaston, AshbourneSK14R05/09/19841Adultvc57_danes_bc_data

Water Carpet       Northern Winter Moth

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