Olive crescent moth  (Trisateles emortualis)

Classified as Rare in Great Britain (2).

Adults of the rare Olive Crescent moth are orange-brown in colour with whitish cross-lines (3).

In the UK this species occurs in a small and declining population in the Chilterns in Buckinghamshire, and in two populations in Essex (2). The range extends through most of Europe to Siberia, northern Iran and China (2).

You can view distribution information for this species at the National Biodiversity Network Gateway.

All UK populations occur in woodlands (2).

A single-brooded species, adults fly in June and July. Caterpillars can be found between August and early October feeding on withered oak and beech leaves, either on the ground, on fallen branches, or on damaged branches still attached to the tree (1). The overwintering stage is the pupa(1).

It is thought that changing woodland structure and new management techniques have affected the species (2).

A Species Action Plan has been produced for the Olive Crescent moth, which aims to maintain the present populations of the species, and has proposed a programme of monitoring (2).

There may be further information about this species available via the National Biodiversity Network Gateway.

The UK Biodiversity Action Plan for this species is available at UK BAP.

View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.