Morley’s Final Catalogue: Abundant in the County, and Britain ; sometimes at Monks Soham light.

Recent Status: A fairly common species found across the county. As a species with a larva feeding on floating water plants it is interesting to note the abundance at coastal locations. It is not normally considered to be a regular immigrant.

Life Style: The moth flies during summer and comes to light. The temporal distribution of the species in Suffolk suggests it is double brooded. Alternatively the June peak may be emergence of individuals that have pupated before winter and the main peak be of those that hibernated as larvae and pupated in the spring of the year they emerged. The larvae are not aquatic except in the first instar. They feed on the surface of floating water plants. If feeding below water they construct a case from leaf fragments and feed from that. Pupation takes place in a dense white cocoon affixed just below the water surface.

Identification: Cataclysta lemnata is sexually dimorphic. At rest the smaller males are white with a small discal spot. The larger females are a light brown with darker markings and a larger discal spot. The female has relatively longer narrower wings than the male. Both species have the specific character on the hindwing. There is a brown edges black band on the termen containing a row of steely metallic spots. There is no similar species.

Recorded in 46 (79%) of 58 10k Squares. First Recorded in 1964. Last Recorded in 2023. Additional Stats

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