Hantsmoths

Nationally scarce (Nb) in sand-dunes and on shingle beaches, along the coasts of England, Wales and eastern Scotland, also inland on the heaths of Hampshire and Surrey. In Hampshire very local along the south coast, Hayling Island being the best-known locality, where it is recorded just about annually. The last report of the small, dark form from the heaths of north-east Hampshire was in 1996. First recorded from the Isle of Wight in 2013, and another was found in St Helens in 2015. Wingspan 38-44 mm. The main confusion species is Cabbage Moth Mamestra brassicae, in which the reniform stigma is outlined white; in S. albicolon the reniform stigma is indicated by a pair of vertically opposed whitish dots on the distal margin of the dorsal half (MBGBI Vol 9). Larva feeds on Sea Rocket, Common Restharrow, Sea Sandwort, Sand Spurrey and Ribwort Plantain, over-wintering as a pupa.