White Satin Moth       Gypsy Moth
72.010 BF2033  –  Erebidae –  Xyleninae – Lymantria monacha – Black Arches –  (Linnaeus, 1758) Adult Macro:  CAT 1 – Distinctive species unlikely to be confused with others –       PDF Icon – click for Adult Macro Verification Guidelines
Green –  Rare / Uncommon / Scarce   
Taxonomy:   Macro   >>  Erebidae  >> Xyleninae
ID Difficulty:  green  – easy to identify, generally distinctive and unlikely to be confused with other species.
ID pointers: A fairly distinctive all white moth with numerous black jagged marks, cross-lines & patterning across the wings, with pink bands on the abdomen. A bold black central crescent in the forewing which is where the moth gets its name.
Distribution:  (First record: 1 August 1977 at Matlock )  –  (Last record: 18 August 2024 at Elvaston )  –  First record from Matlock in 1977.Another one trapped in Matlock in 2001 and then one at Robin Wood in South Derbyshire in 2008 and one at Darley Dale in 2009. Next record was one at Kings Newton 21st August 2013. Since, this moth has now been recorded, in small numbers, from a wide range of sites, particularly across the south of the county.
Flight Period: July /  August /  –  On the wing July – August Moth Activity: Nocturnal  Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Tony Davison, Stephen Plant, Dave Evans  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 2 October 2025 by RP ***
Wingspan: 30-50mm
Forewing: 18-28mm Food Plant: Oak (Quercus), but sometimes on coniferous trees.
Last Recorded Year: 2024
First Recorded Year: 1977
Last Recorded By – Marion Bryce
Last Recorded General Area – Elvaston
Selected Images:  Kings Newton, Derbyshire – Tony Davison © – Allestree – Stephen Plant © / Belper (2024)  – Dave Evans

Black Arches - Erebidae - Lymantria monacha
Black Arches – Erebidae – Lymantria monacha
Black Arches - Erebidae - Lymantria monacha
Black Arches – Erebidae – Lymantria monacha
Black Arches - Erebidae - Lymantria monacha
Black Arches – Erebidae – Lymantria monacha
72.010 BF2033 - Black Arches - Erebidae - Lymantria monacha
Black Arches – Erebidae – Lymantria monacha
Black Arches - 30th July 2024 -Belper - Dave Evans
Black Arches – 30th July 2024 -Belper – Dave Evans
Black Arches - Erebidae - Lymantria monacha
Black Arches - Erebidae - Lymantria monacha
Black Arches - Erebidae - Lymantria monacha
72.010 BF2033 - Black Arches - Erebidae - Lymantria monacha
Black Arches - 30th July 2024 -Belper - Dave Evans


Image Gallery

No gallery images found for this moth.


Distribution Map for Lymantria monacha

Found 59 records
    ↳ 23 from After 2025
    ↳ 28 from 2020 - 2024
    ↳ 8 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 – Lymantria monacha

⚠️ 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: Lymantria monacha
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

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


First/Last Recorded Dates: Lymantria monacha
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: Lymantria monacha
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Lymantria monacha
AGR: 0.72%   |   Total % Change: 13%


CUSUM Analysis: Lymantria monacha
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 16 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 2025, 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: Lymantria monacha
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Lymantria monacha
( 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 - Lymantria monacha – 59 records available

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

Site NameTetradDateCountStageSource
BelperSK34U13/08/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Inkersall gardenSK47G16/08/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Belper, DerbyshireSK34N12/08/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Belper, DerbyshireSK34N13/08/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
BelperSK34U23/08/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Darwin ForestSK26X01/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Darwin ForestSK26X03/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Chesterfield Ambulance StationSK37K10/07/20252adultvc57_irecords_extract
Staveley DerbyshireSK47H11/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Markham Vale South Tip DerbyshireSK47K14/07/20253adultvc57_irecords_extract
Findern, DerbyshireSK33A11/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Findern, DerbyshireSK33A13/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Aston-on-Trent, DerbyshireSK43A17/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Staveley garden SYASK47H16/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Findern, DerbyshireSK33A17/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Findern, DerbyshireSK33A25/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Jim Mart Nature ReserveSK36S26/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
upper cromford gardenSK25Y31/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Chaddesden, DerbySK33T22/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Belper, DerbyshireSK34N18/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Belper, DerbyshireSK34N26/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Belper, DerbyshireSK34N27/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Mickleover gardenSK33C18/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
BelperSK34N01/08/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Inkersall gardenSK47G08/08/20242adultvc57_irecords_extract
upper cromford gardenSK25Y09/08/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Old Park Plantation, ChatsworthSK26U12/08/20241Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Markham Vale DerbyshireSK47K12/08/20242adultvc57_irecords_extract
Darley BridgeSK26Q14/08/20241Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Clover Close, ElvastonSK43B18/08/20244adultvc57_irecords_extract
Chaddesden, DerbySK33T10/08/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Glapwell Garden TrapSK46T03/08/20242adultvc57_irecords_extract
Glapwell Garden TrapSK46T16/08/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Allestree, DerbySK33P24/07/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Markham Vale DerbyshireSK47L25/07/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
BelperSK34N29/07/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Ilkeston, DerbyshireSK44K28/07/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Clover Close, ElvastonSK43B29/07/20246adultvc57_irecords_extract
Drakelow, Derbys.SK22F22/07/20242adultvc57_irecords_extract
Allestree, DerbySK33P24/07/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
King's NewtonSK32Y29/07/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Chesterfield Ambulance StationSK37K03/08/20232adultvc57_irecords_extract
Staunton Harold Reservoir, DerbyshireSK32S15/08/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Findern GardenSK33A10/08/20232Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Findern GardenSK33A11/08/20231Adultvc57_irecords_extract
BelperSK34U10/08/20232adultvc57_irecords_extract
Rosliston Forestry Centre, Swadlincote, Derbys.SK21N28/07/20232adultvc57_irecords_extract
EA depotSK43G27/07/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Findern, Derbyshire, DEAZSK33A18/07/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Orchid WoodSK43L21/07/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Drakelow CP, Swadlincote, England, GBSK21N03/08/20211Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y17/07/20181Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Wood Lane, Newhall, SwadlincotesSK22V04/08/20171Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Main Street, Kings NewtonSK32Y21/08/20131Adultvc57_irecords_extract
The Hollies,Station Rd,Darley DaleSK26R08/08/20091Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Robin WoodSK32M05/08/20081Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Robin Wood (central area)SK32M04/08/20081Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Robin Wood (central area)SK32M04/08/20081Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Wolds Rise, Cavendish Rd, MatlockSK36A01/08/19771Adultvc57_danes_bc_data

White Satin Moth       Gypsy Moth

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