Species Details

ABH: 70.255

BF: 1934

Family: Geometridae

Subfamily: Ennominae

Taxon: Agriopis marginaria

=Agriopis marginaria (melanic form)

=Agriopis marginaria ab. fuscata

Authority: (Fabricius, [1777])

Vernacular: Dotted Border

Account: Common in woodland, scrub, hedgerows, gardens, heathland and moorland throughout the British Isles, female flightless; principal confusion species are Mottled Umber Erannis defoliaria, which lacks row of dark spots on termen, and Scarce Umber A. aurantiaria, which differs in wing shape and is always golden yellow; Dotted Border ab. fuscata is plain brown. Larva feeds on various broad-leaved trees and shrubs, including Pedunculate and Sessile Oak, Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Downy and Silver Birch, Hazel, Willow, Elm, Sycamore, Apple, Plum and Heather, over-wintering as a pupa.

Accounts provided by and used with the kind permission of Mike Wall, Hampshire County Moth Recorder. These will in due course be gradually replaced with species accounts with a Surrey context.

Wingspan: male 36 — 42 mm; female flightless

Surrey Flight Period: —

The flight period of overwintering adults are not given. See the flight chart below the distribution map.

Foodplant: Polyphagous.

Foodplant accounts are from the HOSTS database — Natural History Museum, London, UK. (CC0).

Status: Least Concern (LC)

UK BAP:

WCA:

Click here to view the full geology map of Surrey.

Verification Grade: 1 — Relatively easily identified 👌

Further Information: https://www.ukmoths.org.uk/species/agriopis-marginaria/

Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 717

Individuals: 799

Earliest Year: 1882

Latest Year: 2025

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