Hantsmoths

Nationally scarce (Na) in woodland, fens and marshes in parts of England and Wales. In Hampshire this scarce and elusive species has been knocked out of old hawthorns in the New Forest in the past, but nothing has been heard of it since the 1930s, until there was an aberrant migration event in early January 2013, when a number were trapped across southern England, during which an individual turned up in Pennington. In subsequent years the species has become increasingly frequent and appearances in the two counties are now expected annually (reported new for North Hampshire in 2022). Wingspan 18-23 mm. This species is similar to certain forms of A. hastiana; it may be distinguished by differences in the shape of the costa of the forewing, which in both sexes of A. hastiana appears shallowly concave beyond the middle; also, the two small but well-developed scale-tufts present in the tornal area of the forewing in A. umbrana, are not found in A. hastiana [Bradley]. Larva feeds on Blackthorn, Hawthorn, Bird Cherry and Rowan, living within a spun or rolled leaf.