Geometridae

70.087 Purple Bar Cosmorhoe ocellata (Linnaeus, 1758)

Common

Similar species: This moth is unlikely to be mistaken for any other British or Irish species.

Forewing: 13 to 14mm

Habitats: Woodland rides and margins, scrub, hedgerows, grasslands, limestone downland, moorland, heathland, sand-dunes, breckland and gardens.

Habits: The moth is occasionally disturbed in the day. It flies from dusk and comes to light.

Foodplant: The larva feeds on Marsh Bedstraw, Hedge Bedstraw, Heath Bedstraw and other bedstraws. It pupates in the leaf litter.

On the European mainland it has been recorded feeding on Lady's Bedstraw.