Hantsmoths

Local in gardens and other open areas in south-east England. C. pumicana was synonymised under C. pasiuana by Razowski (1989). Work recently published in Langmaid and Agassiz, 2010 indicates that consistent differences in genitalia exist between the two taxa, especially in the male, and that therefore there is no reason to not treat pumicana as a valid taxon. On external morphology, the adult's indistinct and often pale patterning (dark specimens do occur) makes identification on wing features alone impossible, as it is indistinguishable from pasiuana and, for pale specimens, from genitalana. The earliest confirmed record that has so far been identified from re-examining genitalia preparations previously attributed to pasiuana dates from 1986, and all have occurred in south-east England, indicating that this is most likely a recent arrival to the country; confirmed English specimens have been taken from 24 June to 8 August, with the majority in mid-late July. On the continent it is stated as being polyphagous on cereals, grasses, legumes and flax (Chambon & Genestier, 1980). Records in Hampshire date from 2004 onwards, but so far yet to be recorded on the Isle of Wight. The wingspan is similar to pasiuana, at 15-20 mm.

VC11 South Hampshire

VC12 North Hampshire