Share

A dingy mocha moth against a dark background. It's a brown moth with dark speckling, blushes of red and four white spots with darker borders

Dingy mocha © Ryan Banfield

Dingy mocha

This pretty, speckled moth is now a rare sight, found only in a few parts of southern England.

Enw gwyddonol

Cyclophora pendularia

Pryd i'w gweld

Adults: May-June and July-August
Caterpillars: June-September

Species information

Category

Ystadegau

Wingspan: 26-29 mm
UK BAP: Priority Species. Red Data Book.

Ynghylch

The dingy mocha is usually found on wet heathlands, as well as open woodland in heathy areas and occasionally damp grassland. The caterpillars feed on sallows, mainly grey and eared willows. They prefer willows growing as bushes in sunny spots.

The adult moths fly from dusk and are sometimes attracted to lights. There are two generations of adults in a year: one in May-June and the second in July-August. The young of the second generation spend the winter as a pupa.

Sut i'w hadnabod

A grey moth with coarse speckling, sometimes with a pinkish blush in the middle of the wings. There is a distinct white spot on each wing. The forewing spots have a reddish border, the hindwing spots have a darker border.

Darker specimens of birch mocha can look similar, but the wing shape is different. The forewing of dingy mocha is slightly more hooked and the hindwings are more angular.

Dosbarthiad

The dingy mocha is now only found in a few parts of Dorset and Hampshire.

Roeddech chi yn gwybod?

The scientific name Cyclophora means "wheel-bearing" and refers to the circular markings on the wings of dingy mocha and many other species in this genus.