Photo © Mike Wall

Beautiful Marbled

Eublemma purpurina

Checklist Number
72.074 [B&F: 2409a]

Verification
Record will require further evidence, at least a good photograph, unless CMR is aware recorder has confidence in identification

Classification

Family:Erebidae
Subfamily:Toxocampinae
Genus:Eublemma
Species:purpurina
Authority:([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)

An increasingly common migrant from southern Europe, appearing in southern England for the first time in Dorset in 2001, but only identified from a set specimen during 2004, a year which saw an influx of some eight moths of this previously unrecorded species. In Hampshire the first was trapped at Cheriton Wood, vice-county 12, on 31 July 2004, and the second at Southsea, vice-county 11, on 16 August 2004 - these were the second and third British records. Subsequently recorded at Waterlooville on 6 August 2005 and at Beaulieu on 30 July 2006, both in vice-county 11. The Isle of Wight had to wait until 2018 for its first record, and since that year it has been recorded annually, sometimes multiple times, in both counties. Wingspan 26-30 mm. Some poorly marked specimens resemble f. carthami of Purple Marbled E. ostrina, however the postmedian fascia which bisects the purple distal half of the wing in Beautiful Marbled is absent in Purple Marbled. Larva feeds on Creeping Thistle, no evidence of breeding in the UK.

The abundance in each month is indicated as follows:

No records
Very occasional
Irregular
Uncommon
Off-peak, but not unusual
Off-peak, but not unusual
Main flight time
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Adult
Larval

Records by week (adult)

Records by week (larval)

No Larval records to show.

VC10 Isle of Wight

Site Date Quantity Recorder Stage
Wheelers Bay (SZ57)21/07/2018oneAndy ButlerAdult
Bonchurch (SZ57)22/07/2018oneJames HalseyAdult
Bonchurch (SZ57)08/08/2020oneJames HalseyAdult
Shanklin (SZ58)20/08/2020oneIain OutlawAdult
Wheelers Bay (SZ57)16/09/2020oneAndy ButlerAdult
Freshwater (SZ38)19/09/2020onePhil BardenAdult
Freshwater (SZ38)21/09/2020onePhil BardenAdult
Mottistone Down Chalk Pits (SZ48)27/05/2021oneJim BaldwinAdult
Arreton Down (SZ58)14/06/2021oneJim CresswellAdult
Totland (SZ38)24/06/2021oneRachel TerryAdult
Bonchurch (SZ57)15/09/2021oneJames HalseyAdult
Bouldnor (SZ39)12/07/2022oneJim BaldwinAdult

VC11 South Hampshire

Site Date Quantity Recorder Stage
Portsmouth (SU60)16/08/2004oneIan ThirlwellAdult
Waterlooville (SU61)06/08/2005oneRichard J MooreAdult
Beaulieu (SU30)30/07/2006oneBrian Ivon-JonesAdult
Brockenhurst, NF (SU20)19/08/2012oneRussell B WynnAdult
Stanpit Marsh LNR (SZ19)08/06/2018oneRobin P Harley, Toni KasiskeAdult
Stanpit Marsh LNR (SZ19)09/06/2018oneRobin P HarleyAdult
Catisfield (SU50)27/08/2019oneAmy L RobjohnsAdult
Christchurch (SZ19)09/08/2020oneChris FryAdult
Dibden Purlieu (SU40)30/08/2022oneRobert A ChapmanAdult

VC12 North Hampshire

Site Date Quantity Recorder Stage
Cheriton (SU62)31/07/2004onePeter ThompsonAdult
Abbotstone Down (SU53)29/06/2016twoTeddy WallikerAdult
Alton (SU73)29/07/2019oneChris PiperAdult
Cheriton (SU52)31/07/2020oneDavid ShuteAdult
Alton (SU73)04/08/2020oneChris PiperAdult
Alton (SU73)09/08/2020oneBelinda AhmedAdult
Alton (SU73)28/09/2020oneChris PiperAdult
Hammer Vale, Woolmer (SU83)11/09/2021oneAndy SwanAdult