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Pale Tussock - Calliteara pudibunda
Wingspan 40-60 mm. Both the adults and larvae are quite hairy.
Gardens, hedgerows, parks, woodland and scrub.
The moths fly in May and June and are attracted to light.
The larva is similar to that of the Dark Tussock (Dicallomera fascelina), but is generally greenish or yellow, with four conspicuous tufts of yellow hairs. It feeds on a range of deciduous shrubs and trees and used to be a pest of Hop when it was commonly grown.
Fairly common in England and Wales, local in Ireland. In a recent survey to determine the status of all macro moths in Britain this species was classified as common.
Quite common in Leicestershire and Rutland. L&R Moth Group status = A (common and resident)
Leicestershire & Rutland Map
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Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015
UK Map
Species profile
- Common names
- Pale Tussock
- Species group:
- Moths
- Kingdom:
- Animalia
- Order:
- Lepidoptera
- Family:
- Erebidae
- Records on NatureSpot:
- 380
- First record:
- 04/10/2004 (Nicholls, David)
- Last record:
- 05/10/2023 (Baker, Adrian)
Total records by month
% of records within its species group
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