UKMoths The Magpie Abraxas grossulariata - Distribution map
Please note that the NBN Gateway map service has been terminated as of 1 April 2017.
As soon as a replacement map service is available, distribution maps will hopefully appear here again.
In the meantime, you can get some idea of distribution from the NBN Atlas website.
70.205 BF1884
The Magpie Abraxas grossulariata
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Wingspan 35-40 mm.
A very distinctive species, this was a favourite with early collectors, who used to breed it to obtain unusual coloured and patterned forms.
Quite common in most of Britain, though less so in Scotland.
The caterpillar, which has similar colouration to the moth, feeds on currant and gooseberry bushes (Ribes spp.) in particular, and used to be seen as a garden pest, though the species is now declining in many areas.
The moths fly in July and August and are regularly attracted to light.
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