70.228 BF1908

Dark Bordered Beauty Epione vespertaria

(Linnaeus, 1767)

Wingspan 25-30 mm.

An extremely local species, occurring in only a couple of locations each in Scotland and northern England, the preferred habitat being damp woodland and wet heathland.

It resembles the commoner Bordered Beauty (E. repandaria), but differs with the more parallel purplish border to the forewing, which tapers to a point in repandaria.

The adults are sexually dimorphic, with the females darker than the males, and the moths are on the wing in July and August.

The main foodplant is creeping willow (Salix repens).