70.149 BF1815  –  Geometridae –  Larentiinae – Eupithecia abietaria – Cloaked Pug – (Goeze, 1781) Adult Macro:  CAT 2 – Can be confused with other species – Can be confused with other species       PDF Icon – click for Adult Macro Verification Guidelines

Brown –  Significant Record / Very Rare / Vagrant        orange – Migrant
Taxonomy:   Macro   >>  Geometridae  >> Larentiinae
ID Difficulty:  amber  – care required in the identification process, as confusion with similar species is likely – quality photographs required.
ID pointers: One of the largest pugs which helps to eliminate quite a few species. Quite distinctive with a broad forewing, a large bold black central spot. Central cross-bands edged inwardly with black, especially along the leading edge where they form two triangular shaped blocks. Variably in colour shades of grey and brown.
Distribution:  (First record: 11 July 2025 at Findern )  –  (Last record: 11 July 2025 at Findern )  –  A first record for VC57 Derbyshire – One attracted to a garden mv light trap on 11th July 2025 at Findern. A remarkable record of a species that appeared to be dying out in the early part of the 20th century. It has been re-discovered in small colonies in parts of England, Wales and Scotland, no doubt in coniferous forests as the larvae feed internally on the cones of Norway Spruce, Sitka Spruce and Noble Fir. Records of singletons often refer to the likely-hood of an immigrant, so this specimen is highly likely to be a migrant, especially at a time of high migrant activity in the country.
Flight Period: June /  July /  –  one generation Moth Activity: Nocturnal   – and is attracted to light Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Brian & Jean Hallam   © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 2 October 2025 by RP ***
Wingspan: 11-15mm
Food Plant: Norway Spruce, Sitka Spruce, Noble Fir and Silver Fir
Last Recorded Year: 2025
First Recorded Year: 2025
Last Recorded By – Brian Hallam
Last Recorded General Area – Findern

Selected Images:  

1st VC57 record – 11/7/2025 – Findern – Brian Hallam©



Distribution Map for Eupithecia abietaria

Found 1 records
    ↳ 1 from After 2025
    ↳ 0 from 2020 - 2024
    ↳ 0 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 – Eupithecia abietaria

⚠️ 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: Eupithecia abietaria
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

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


First/Last Recorded Dates: Eupithecia abietaria
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: Eupithecia abietaria
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Eupithecia abietaria
AGR: 0%   |   Total % Change: 0%
Eupithecia abietaria
Insufficient records/data for an AGR analysis
Years Analysed: 2000 – 2025
Eupithecia abietaria
Insufficient records/data for a CUSUM analysis
Years Analysed: 2000 – 2025

Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Eupithecia abietaria
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Eupithecia abietaria
( 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 - Eupithecia abietaria – 1 records available

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

Site NameTetradDateCountStageSource
Findern, DerbyshireSK33A11/07/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract

Scroll to Top