73.127 BF2357

Large Ear Amphipoea lucens

(Freyer, 1845)

---

Wingspan 30-36 mm.

The 'Ear' moths, or Amphipoea species are so alike that it is not usually reliable to distinguish them without referring to their genitalic structure.

Because of this, the distributions are imperfectly known, but this species has a predominantly northern and western bias in Britain.

It flies in August and September, and occurs on moorland and acid grassland, feeding on the roots and stem bases of grasses, especially purple moor-grass (Molinea caerulea).