Species Details

ABH: 70.245

BF: 1663

Family: Geometridae

Subfamily: Ennominae

Taxon: Alsophila aescularia

Authority: ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)

Vernacular: March Moth

Account: Common in open woodland, parks and gardens throughout the British Isles, female wingless. Male has a distinctive resting posture and shape, with narrow, overlapping forewings and straight costa, giving the appearance of an arrow-head, and the forewing shows a distinct dentate subterminal fascia; the flightless female is very easy to overlook, but can be distinguished from other flightless females by the brown anal tuft and complete absence of wings. Larva feeds on numerous broad-leaved trees and shrubs, including Oak, Hawthorn, Blackthorn and Crab Apple, 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 34 — 38 mm; female wingless

Surrey Flight Period: 8 Jan (2020) — 1 May (1986)

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/alsophila-aescularia/

Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 948

Individuals: 2500

Earliest Year: 1882

Latest Year: 2025

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