Confusion Species

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

Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet

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 SpeciesSpecies 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 WaveCream Wave/ Lesser Cream Wave
 Hypsopygia costalis (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
 Willow/Mottled Beauty Satin Beaunty (range expanding)
 Willow/Mottled Beauty 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 Square-spot
 LychnisLight Brocade
 Dusky Brocade (some forms)Dark Brocade/ Confused
 Clouded DrabLead-coloured Drab, Northern Drab
 Smoky WainscotCommon Wainscot/ Southern Wainscot
 ChestnutDark Chestnut (not particularly uncommon)
 Common RusticLesser Common Rustic/Small Clouded Brindle
 Common RusticBrindle
 Rosy RusticButterbur
 Mottled Rustic/ Rustic/ UncertainTricky threesome, all can be locally common
 Beautiful Golden Y/Plain Golden YBoth common but worn ones can be tricky
 Fan-footCommon Fan-foot