Species Details

ABH: 73.202

BF: 2237

Family: Noctuidae

Subfamily: Xyleninae

Taxon: Lithophane ornitopus

=Lithophane ornitopus lactipennis

Authority: (Hufnagel, 1766)

Vernacular: Grey Shoulder-knot

Account: Common in oak woodland, broad-leaved woodland and parks throughout much of southern England and Wales The most likely confusion species is Blair's Shoulder-knot L. leautieri, which see for differences. Larva feeds on Pedunculate Oak and Sessile Oak.

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: 37 — 42 mm

Surrey Flight Period: —

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

Foodplant: Quercus sp. (an oak).

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/lithophane-ornitopus/

Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 393

Individuals: 117

Earliest Year: 1831

Latest Year: 2025

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