This section is here to give you extra assistance with the identification of some of the trickier species of moth you may find. The following articles are currently available to download:
Thera moths Grey Pine Carpet/Spruce Carpet
Mottled Grey/Early Tooth striped
Common Confusion Species
The moths below are the most likely species to be encountered. If you suspect the uncommon or rare option is the moth you have, please follow the recommendations above. They are listed in the order in which they appear in the reference books (except Light Emerald)
| Common Species | Species frequently misidentified in the past |
| Narrow-bordered 5-Spot Burnet, 6-Spot Burnet | Five-spot Burnet |
| Light Emerald | Small Emerald, Barred Red (green form) |
| Single-dotted Wave, Small Fan-footed Wave | Dotted Border Wave, Treble Brown-spot |
| Small fan-footed Wave (Dark form) | Small Dusty Wave (also a common species) |
| Riband Wave | Plain Wave |
| Common Wave, Common White Wave | Cream Wave, Lesser Cream Wave |
| Hypsopygia costalis “Gold Triangle” (a micro moth) | Purple-bordered Gold |
| Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet | Red Twin-spot Carpet |
| Common Carpet | Wood Carpet, Galium Carpet |
| Barred Straw, Northern Spinach | Spinach, Dark Spinach |
| Small Phoenix | Phoenix |
| Common Marbled Carpet | Dark Marbled Carpet |
| Grey Pine Carpet | Pine Carpet |
| Foxglove Pug | Toadflax Pug (less common than Foxglove) |
| Small Rivulet | Rivulet (less frequent than Small Rivulet) |
| Treble-bar | Lesser Treble-bar |
| Toothed-striped | Mottled Grey – both species are rather local |
| Canary-shouldered Thorn, September Thorn | August Thorn |
| Early Thorn | Purple Thorn/Lunar Thorn |
| Mottled Umber (plain form) | Scarce Umber (local species) |
| Willow Beauty, Mottled Beauty Both common – take care identifying each | Satin Beaunty (range expanding) Great and Pale Oak Beauty (not on county list) |
| Sallow Kitten | Poplar Kitten, Alder Kitten |
| Swallow Prominent/Lesser Swallow Prominent | Both common – take care when identifying |
| Double Square-spot | Triple-spotted Clay |
| Lychnis | Light Brocade |
| Dusky Brocade (some forms) | Dark Brocade, Confused |
| Clouded Drab | Lead-coloured Drab, Northern Drab |
| Smoky Wainscot | Common Wainscot, Southern Wainscot |
| Chestnut | Dark Chestnut (not particularly uncommon) |
| Common Rustic/Lesser Common Rustic Require gen.det. to separate confinently | Small Clouded Brindle, Brindle |
| Rosy Rustic | Butterbur |
| Mottled Rustic/ Rustic/ Uncertain | Tricky threesome, all can be locally common |
| Beautiful Golden Y/Plain Golden Y | Both common but worn ones can be tricky |
| Fan-foot | Common Fan-foot |