Species Details

ABH: 71.005

BF: 1997

Family: Notodontidae

Subfamily: Cerurinae

Taxon: Furcula furcula

Authority: (Clerck, 1759)

Vernacular: Sallow Kitten

Account: Common in woodland rides and clearings, hedgerows, parks, moorland, heathland and gardens throughout the British Isles. The main confusion species is Poplar Kitten F. bifida, but F. furcula is smaller and outer edge of central cross-band is usually rather irregular and usually only finely outlined in black in the leading half, while in F. bifida the outer margin of the median fascia is black and more evenly curved (MBGBI Vol 9). Larva feeds on Grey, Goat and White Willow, White and Black Poplar, and Aspen, 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: 35 — 42 mm

Surrey Flight Period: 15 Apr (2003) — 30 Aug (1966)

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

Foodplant: Populus sp. (a poplar), Populus tremula (Aspen), Salix sp. (a sallow).

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: 2 — Care needed to identify 🤔
Further Information: https://www.ukmoths.org.uk/species/furcula-furcula/
Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 481

Individuals: 85

Earliest Year: 1924

Latest Year: 2025

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