Agonopterix purpurea - 27th April 2026 - Gang Mine - Clive Ashton - ID by Gen Det - 5th VC57 record
32.009 BF691  – Least Brown  – Agonopterix purpurea  – (Haworth, 1811)
Adult Micro:  CAT 1 – Distinctive species unlikely to be confused with others –      
PDF Icon – click for General Verification Guidelines  |   PDF Icon – click for Specific Verification Guidelines
Brown –  Significant Record / Rare / Vagrant    
Taxonomy:   Micro   >>  Depressariidae  >> Depressariinae
Other Name/s: Small Purple Flat-body
ID Difficulty:  amber  – care required in the identification process, as confusion with similar species is likely – quality photographs required.
Confusion Species:  Agonopterix liturosa
/Agonopterix conterminella
ID pointers: A distinctive species, the smallest of the agonopterix genus. Forewing is a dark purplish-brown. A blackish blotch about half way on the costa – broad speckling of black and white and cream
Distribution:  Nationally a relatively localised species mainly in the south of England. First VC57 record 23/4/2013 from Pleasley Colliery. Then 5/5/2014 & 17/09/2018 / 16/8/2025 and latest 27/4/2026 (ID by Gen Det). Status unknown probably very localised in the county.
General Comment: None
Flight Period: March /  April /  May /  August –  August then hibernates re-appearing in the spring Moth Activity: Nocturnal   – and is attracted to light Photographed: No –   Photographed By: Not Recorded
*** Last updated on 22 October 2026 by TD ***
Wingspan: 11-15mm
Food Plant: Wild Carrot and Cow Parsley
Last Recorded Year: 2018
First Recorded Year: 2013
Last Recorded By – DaNES Journal 169
Last Recorded General Area – Pleasley Colliery CP

Possible Future Content


Images of Interest



Temporal Distribution Chart
Adults: (between 2025 - 2026)
(click legend below to show/hide datasets)
This chart summarises all available historical occurrence records collated by ISO week of the year. It reflects recorder effort and sampling distribution as well as true biological activity, and should be interpreted as an indicative pattern of seasonal occurrence rather than a statistically controlled abundance or phenology model.


Changes in First and Last Recorded Activity Dates Over Time
Activity Data Range: 2025 – 2026
Earliest Appearance: 27th April (in 2026)
Latest Appearance: 16th August (in 2025)

This chart presents a time-series summary of recorded observations. It is based on available records at the time of analysis and will evolve as further data are added. The five-year moving average provides a smoothed representation of variation in recorded adult and immature activity over time, helping to illustrate longer-term trends in the earliest and latest recorded dates.

Annual record totals are shown for context; years with fewer records may provide a less complete representation of activity than years with higher recording intensity. Interpretation should consider that apparent trends may reflect both biological change and variation in recording effort.

Note: Clicking either the Adult Range.... or Immature Range... legends allows you to hide them, to show more discrete data.


Distribution Map for Agonopterix purpurea

Found 2 records
    ↳ 1 from 2026+
    ↳ 1 from 2020 - 2025
    ↳ 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 – Agonopterix purpurea

⚠️ 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: Agonopterix purpurea
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Monthly Counts By Year: Agonopterix purpurea
( data is based on 'Adult' stage records only )

First/Last Recorded Dates: Agonopterix purpurea
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: Agonopterix purpurea
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Agonopterix purpurea
AGR: 0%   |   Total % Change: 0%

Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Agonopterix purpurea
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Agonopterix purpurea

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 - Agonopterix purpurea – 2 records available

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

Site Name Tetrad Date Count Stage Recorder Source RecordKey
Gang Mine, Cromford SK25X 27/04/2026 1 adult Ashton, Clive vc57_irecords_extract iBRC51761291
Drakelow, Derbys. SK22F 16/08/2025 1 Adult Williams, Michael vc57_irecords_extract iBRC44571421

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