An outline list of the moths and butterflies of Fair Isle
Nick J. Riddiford
The following is a summary of Lepidoptera recorded on Fair Isle up to the end of December 2023. It incorporates records from field observations, light trapping and attractions to sugar at various sites round the isle, including long-term monitoring activities at the Bird Observatory, Lower Stoneybrek, Shirva and Schoolton. No fewer than seven species were added to the Fair Isle list in 2023: Scarce Silver Y, White-line Dart, Willow Beauty, Small Magpie, Willow Ermine, Vestal and the Crambid moth Evergestis extimalis all probably migrants pushing north of their normal range - in the case of the Willow Ermine on considerably numbers. The Fair Isle list now stands at 202.
For further information, and detailed assessment and analysis, please refer to the paper published in the Entomologist's Gazette (Riddiford & Young 2017).
Advice to visiting field observers: additional records are welcome, via the FIBO warden or to Nick Riddiford at Schoolton. For additions to the list and for those classified as rare, verification in the form of a captured specimen or indisputable photograph will be required for the record to be accepted.
The List
| Taxon | Micropterix aruncella (Scopoli, 1763) |
| Fair Isle status | Previously rare, increasingly common resident |
| First & last dates | 13th June; 8th July |
| Taxon | Korscheltellus fusconebulosa (DeGeer, 1778) |
| Vernacular name | Map-winged Swift |
| Fair Isle status | Very common resident; shows characteristics of the Shetland form H. f. shetlandicus |
| First & last dates | 21st May; 25th August |
| Taxon | Tinea pellionella Linnaeus, 1758 |
| Vernacular name | Case-bearing Clothes-moth |
| Fair Isle status | Overlooked resident or adventive; two records, ♂, 17th July 2012 & ♂, 7 July 2017 |
| Taxon | Tinea pallescentella Stainton, 1851 |
| Vernacular name | Large Pale Clothes-moth |
| Fair Isle status | Fairly common resident around outhouses |
| First & last dates | May to September; 'outlier' - 13th March |
| Taxon | Monopis laevigella (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) |
| Vernacular name | Skin Moth |
| Fair Isle status | Common resident |
| First & last dates | 25th May; 30th July |
| Taxon | Aspilapteryx tringipennella (Zeller, 1839) |
| Fair Isle status | Under-recorded resident; three records, blister mine in ribwort plantain with cocoon inside, Hesswalls, 29th May, adult emerged 2nd June 2004; adult, coastal grassland with abundant Ribwort Plantain Plantago lanceolata, 20th June 2012; several vacated leaf-mines, Ribwort Plantain, Hoini, 1st August 2017 |
| Taxon | Phyllonorycter apparella (Herrich-Schaffer, 1855) New to the British Isles |
| Fair Isle status | Extralimital vagrant; one record, ♂, 20th August 2015 (Riddiford & Young 2016), coinciding with southern Scandinavia population explosion. |
| Taxon | Yponomeuta evonymella (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Bird-cherry Ermine |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; one record, influx of 50+, 8th July 2023. |
| Taxon | Plutella xylostella (Linn. 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Diamond-back Moth |
| Fair Isle status | Annual migrant, frequently in enormous numbers; has bred |
| First & last dates | 14th May; 11th November |
| Highest total | "Thousands and thousands", 26th July 2000 (field records) |
| Taxon | Rhigognostis senilella (Zetterstedt, 1839) Nationally Scarce B |
| Fair Isle status | Resident; recorded most years in small numbers |
| First & last dates | active, 15th July to 3rd October & again 22nd March to 7th May |
| Taxon | Rhigognostis annulatella (Curtis, 1832) Nationally Scarce B |
| Fair Isle status | Resident, recorded irregularly in small numbers; probably commoner than records suggest |
| First & last dates | 25th July to 4th October; 'outliers' - 2nd February, 21st March, 25th April |
| Taxon | Glyphipteryx thrasonella (Scopoli, 1763) |
| Fair Isle status | Abundant resident |
| First & last dates | 20th June to 18th July; 'outlier' - 14th May |
| Taxon | Acrolepiopsis assectella (Zeller, 1839) second Scottish record |
| Vernacular name | Leek Moth |
| Fair Isle status | Adventive or stray migrant (most likely the former); one record, 15th June 2003 |
| Taxon | Argyresthia conjugella (Zeller, 1839) |
| Vernacular name | Apple Fruit Moth |
| Fair Isle status | Migrant or adventive (no food plants on Isle); one record, 29th June 2003 |
| Taxon | Endrosis sarcitrella (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | White-shouldered House-moth |
| Fair Isle status | Abundant resident, including houses, out-buildings; commonest summer but active all year |
| Taxon | Hofmannophila pseudospretella (Stainton, 1849) |
| Vernacular name | Brown House-moth |
| Fair Isle status | Very common resident; regular in buildings, widely distributed outdoors where probably associated with bird nests |
| First & last dates | Recorded all months March-October plus one on 25th December |
| Taxon | Agonopterix scopariella (Heinemann, 1870) |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; one record, 2nd August 2018; food plant absent on Isle |
| Taxon | Agonopterix arenella ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) |
| Fair Isle status | Unclear, possibly migrant; two records, 29th September 1999, 14th August 2001 |
| Taxon | Agonopterix heracliana (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Fair Isle status | Unclear, possibly adventive with produce; one record, in house, 24th August 2004 |
| Taxon | Agonopterix nervosa (Haworth, 1811) |
| Fair Isle status | Probable migrant; four records, singles on 25th August 2009, 2nd, 7th & 8th August 2018; food plant absent on Isle |
| Taxon | Depressaria radiella Goeze, 1783 |
| Vernacular name | Parsnip Moth |
| Fair Isle status | Unclear, possibly migrant; one record, 23rd April 2009 |
| Taxon | Depressaria badiella (Hübner, 1796) |
| Fair Isle status | Resident, probably commoner than records suggest |
| First & last dates | 9th August; 3rd September |
| Highest total | 3, Schoolton trap, 29th August 2022 |
| Taxon | Bryotropha terrella ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) |
| Fair Isle status | Common resident; dry eroded patches of heath and coastal grassland |
| First & last dates | 21st June; 13th August |
| Taxon | Monochroa tenebrella (Hübner, 1817) |
| Fair Isle status | Under-recorded resident; only records, five in pitfall trap set in coastal grassland in May 2010, one there the following month, ♂ 11 June 2017 and one 8th June 2021 |
| Taxon | Scrobipalpa instabilella (Douglas, 1846) Nationally Scarce B |
| Fair Isle status | Unclear, probable adventive; one record, amongst stored wool, 8th August 1994 |
| Taxon | Scrobipalpa samadensis (Stainton, 1883) Nationally Scarce B |
| Fair Isle status | Abundant in coastal turf with plantain swards, late June to July. |
| First & last dates | 28th June; 27th July |
| Taxon | Caryocolum vicinella (Douglas, 1851) Nationally Scarce A |
| Fair Isle status | Overlooked resident; four records, one on 8th August 2009, one on 2nd & two on 8th August 2018 |
| Taxon | Coleophora discordella Zeller, 1849 |
| Fair Isle status | Fairly common resident; case-bearing larvae apparently restricted to more robust plants of Birdsfoot Trefoil on cliffs |
| First & last dates | Active larval cases, June; earliest emergence 12th July, fresh adults 19th July when some larvae still active |
| Taxon | Coleophora mayrella (Hübner, 1813) |
| Fair Isle status | Unclear, possibly overlooked resident; one record, 17th July 1994 |
| Taxon | Coleophora taeniipennella Herrich-Schäffer, 1855 |
| Fair Isle status | Super-abundant resident; strongly synchronised emergence |
| First & last dates | 29th June; 8th July (outlier - 28th July) |
| Taxon | Coleophora versurella Zeller, 1849 |
| Fair Isle status | Probably overlooked resident; two records, 13th July 2012, 28th July 2019 |
| Taxon | Elachista argentella (Clerck, 1759) |
| Fair Isle status | Largely overlooked resident; seven records, 25th July 1997, 4th July 2008, 4th July 2011, 15th August 2016, 23rd June 2020, 8th June 2021, 3rd June 2022 |
| Taxon | Elachista albidella (Nylander, 1847) |
| Fair Isle status | Possibly overlooked resident; one record, 15th July 2009 |
| Taxon | Blastobasis lacticolella Rebel, 1940 |
| Fair Isle status | Colonist, unaided immigration as part of ongoing range expansion cannot be ruled out; four individuals, between 27th June 2011 and 10th July 2021; in 2022, six between 7th June and 10th July; and eleven in 2023 between 17th June and 4th August |
| First & last dates | 7th June; 4th August |
| Highest total | 2, Shirva 10th July 2021 & 4th August 2023 |
| Taxon | Alucita hexadactyla Linnaeus, 1758 |
| Vernacular name | Twenty-plume Moth |
| Fair Isle status | Unclear, potentially an overlooked resident but immigration seems to apply as the records are scattered widely from the Puffinn work camp, a coastal site in the south, to the Bird Observatory; eight records, 8th & 17th September 2006, 12th August 2014, 28th August 2017, two on 13th, one on 14th August 2018, 14th September 2021 |
| Taxon | Platyptilia gonodactyla ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) |
| Vernacular name | Triangle Plume |
| Fair Isle status | Extralimital migrant; one record, Lower Stoneybrek, 15th August 2020. |
| Taxon | Platyptilia isodactylus (Zeller, 1852) Nationally Scarce B |
| Vernacular name | Hoary Plume |
| Fair Isle status | Common resident; first noted in 2004 but probably overlooked before. |
| First & last dates | 29th June; 2nd August |
| Taxon | Stenoptilia bipunctidactyla (Scopoli, 1763) |
| Vernacular name | Twin-spot Plume |
| Fair Isle status | Recent colonist; one in 2009, exponential increase to hundreds by 2013, moderate numbers in 2014-15 thereafter; currently restricted to a few pockets of rough grassland south of the school; one on 17th August 2021 & one on the late date of 7th September 2018 may have been primary migrants |
| First & last dates | 23rd June; 26th July (outliers 17th August, 7th September) |
| Taxon | Phaulernis fulviguttella (Zeller, 1839) |
| Fair Isle status | Abundant resident; occasionally in emergence swarms of 50++; larval foodplant Wild Angelica Angelica sylvestris, egg-laying recorded 20th July 2021 |
| First & last dates | 15th July; 2nd August |
| Taxon | Anthophila fabriciana (Linnaeus, 1767) |
| Vernacular name | Nettle-tap |
| Fair Isle status | Abundant resident but, following destruction of other nettle beds, currently restricted to patches at Pund and Quoy |
| First & last dates | 26th June; 28th July |
| Taxon | Aphelia viburnana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) |
| Vernacular name | Bilberry Tortrix |
| Fair Isle status | Super-abundant resident; tightly synchonised emergence of many thousands over just a few days in heath and moorland; the Fair Isle taxon is distinctive, merits further investigation |
| First & last dates | 11th June; 21st July |
| Taxon | Eana osseana (Scopoli, 1763) |
| Fair Isle status | Very common resident; attracted to light |
| First & last dates | apart from one on 7th June, all records between 1st July and 4th September |
| Highest total | 57, FIBO trap, 12th August 2005 |
| Taxon | Eana penziana (Thunberg, 1791) colquhounana Nationally Scarce B |
| Fair Isle status | Relatively common, July-August; attracted to light |
| First & last dates | 5th July; 7th September |
| Highest total | 15, FIBO trap, 21st July 2006 |
| Taxon | Acleris caledoniana (Stephens, 1852) |
| Fair Isle status | Unclear, possibly overlooked resident; one record, 20th September 1987 |
| Taxon | Acleris effractana (Hübner, 1799) |
| Fair Isle status | Unclear; overlooked resident or infrequent migrant; eight records, 3rd September 2003, 11th & 16th September 2006, 'summer' 2008, 1st August 2014, 12th September 2016, 20th August 2018, 11th September 2018 |
| Taxon | Acleris aspersana (Hübner, 1817) |
| Fair Isle status | Common resident across the hill; has been recorded at South Light late July-August 2023 |
| First & last dates | 15th July; 7th September |
| Highest total | 34, FIBO trap, 18th August 1988 |
| Taxon | Acleris hyemana (Haworth, 1811) |
| Fair Isle status | Common resident; adult winter-active, moorland heath |
| First & last dates | Recorded 2nd September to 20th October, autumn; 19th February to 5th April (very worn), spring |
| Taxon | Eupoecilia angustana (Hübner, 1799) |
| Fair Isle status | Frequent but under-recorded resident of cliffs and grassy areas; two records, tendency for mass emergence, e.g. 50 flying by day 11th June 2004 (cliff site), c.20, grassy roadside, evening of 24th June 2023 showing characteristics of the Shetland form E. a. thuleana |
| Taxon | Aethes smeathmanniana (Fabricius, 1871) |
| Vernacular name | Yarrow Conch |
| Fair Isle status | Unclear; one record, ♂, attracted to light, Schoolton, 28th July 2019; coincided with major influx of migrant moths and butterflies but food plant Achillea millefolium common on isle |
| Taxon | Aethes cnicana (Westwood, 1854) |
| Fair Isle status | Unclear, probably overlooked resident; one record, 5th July 2006 |
| Taxon | Lobesia littoralis (Humphreys & Westwood, 1845) |
| Fair Isle status | Abundant resident; cliffs, coastal grassland |
| First & last dates | 15th June; 18th August; outlier 3rd September (Shirva 2021) |
| Taxon | Bactra lancealana (Hübner, 1799) |
| Fair Isle status | Abundant resident of wet flushes, mire and marshy grassland; the Fair Isle form is very small |
| First & last dates | 10th June; 6th September |
| Taxon | Ancylis unguicella (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Fair Isle status | Under-recorded resident: two records, both on Hill moorland; 4th June 2012 & three on 13th June 2021 |
| Taxon | Rhopobota naevana (Hübner, 1817) |
| Fair Isle status | Infrequently encountered resident; six records, 4th August 1999, 20th May 2011, 4th June 2012, 11th July 2013, 19th & 30th June 2015 |
| Taxon | Epinotia caprana (Fabricius, 1798) |
| Vernacular name | Large Sallow Bell |
| Fair Isle status | Scarce breeding resident; first record, 12th September 2016 followed by proof of breeding, numerous larvae in nests at tips of Salix x smithiana, two collected 24th June 2020, adults emerged 1st August 2020; continued breeding at same site 2021 and intensively in 2022 (larvae from mid-June) |
| Taxon | Epinotia mercuriana (Frölich, 1828) Nationally Scarce B |
| Fair Isle status | Common resident of Calluna heath, July to early August; particularly active late afternoon |
| First & last dates | 2nd July; 7th August |
| Taxon | Epinotia nisella (Clerk, 1759) |
| Fair Isle status | Unclear but likely migrant; one record, 28th July 2008, coincided with small influx of Timandra comae to Fair Isle and Shetland |
| Taxon | Eucosma cana (Haworth, 1811) |
| Fair Isle status | Resident, occasional in traps; probably much commoner than records suggest |
| First & last dates | 9th June; 16th August; outliers, 12th & 13th September (2021) |
| Taxon | Dichrorampha montanana (Duponchel, 1843) |
| Fair Isle status | Probably common but overlooked resident; four field records, 23rd June 2009, 11th July 2013, 4th July 2016, 20th June 2017 |
| Taxon | Papilio machaon Linnaeus, 1758 |
| Vernacular name | Swallowtail |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare extralimital migrant; one record, 9th September 1995 |
| Taxon | Pieris brassicae (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Large White |
| Fair Isle status | Formerly abundant resident, now a rare migrant with no records at all in 1992-2002 & 2004-2010; one on 6th May 2019, the earliest ever by 8 days and preceded a small influx of one on 14th, two on 24th & 25th June and one on 11th July; first confirmed records since 2013 |
| First & last dates (migrants) | 6th May; 1st September |
| Taxon | Pieris rapae (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Small White |
| Fair Isle status | Rare migrant; six or seven records, singles on 17th June 1978, 7th August 1989, 9th July 1992, 26th & 27th May, 11th & 19th June 2004 |
| Taxon | Colias croceus (Fourcroy, 1785) |
| Vernacular name | Clouded Yellow |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; three records, late July to early August 1980, 25th May & 16th August 1992 |
| Taxon | Coenonympha pamphilus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Small Heath |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant or dispersive vagrant; one record, June 1980 |
| Taxon | Maniola jurtina (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Meadow Brown |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant or dispersive vagrant; two records, 10th & 20th June 1980; another seen briefly in flight on 29th July 1990 by experienced observers is best treated as possible but unverified |
| Taxon | Vanessa atalanta (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Red Admiral |
| Fair Isle status | Annual migrant in variable numbers; has bred; the 2019 individual was the earliest ever by ten days |
| First & last dates | 27th April (2019); 30th October |
| Highest total | "Big invasion", major arrival streaming through from south-east all morning of 25th August 2002 |
| Taxon | Vanessa cardui (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Painted Lady |
| Fair Isle status | Annual migrant; has bred; unprecedented numbers in two waves, 11th to mid June and 26th July-early August in 2019, maximum counts 204 on 19th June, 961 on 3rd August but probably several thousands involved in each wave |
| First & last dates | 19th May; 25th October |
| Highest total | 961, 3rd August 2019 |
| Taxon | Aglais io (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Peacock |
| Fair Isle status | Scarce, previously irregular now near annual migrant; first notified record 1983 followed by gap to 1995, thereafter almost annual; two records of hibernation, adult disturbed in byre 4th April 2005 & adult photographed 26th March 2020; record-breaking year in 2019 with earliest record and sightings on 18 dates 26th July-4th September |
| First & last dates (migrants) | 14th May; 26th September (excludes the April record) |
| Highest total | 11, 25th August 2019 |
| Taxon | Aglais urticae (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Small Tortoiseshell |
| Fair Isle status | Common migrant; bred 1996, 2009; one overwintered as pupa, emerging on or shortly before 21st April 2010 |
| First & last dates | 20th April (2020); 14th October |
| Highest total | 35, 1st August 1980 (field records) |
| Taxon | Lampides boeticus (Linnaeus, 1767) |
| Vernacular name | Long-tailed Blue |
| Fair Isle status | Adventive; two larval records - one with stock early September 2006, pupated immediately, ♀ emerged 15th October. Another, probably this species, mange-tout pea packet "fresh from Kenya", 16th April 2008, died 21st April |
| Taxon | Polyommatus icarus (Rottemburg, 1775) |
| Vernacular name | Common Blue |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant or dispersive vagrant; one verified record, 11th June 1990; a "blue sp." August 1980 was probably this species |
| Taxon | Dioryctria abietella ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) |
| Vernacular name | Dark Pine Knot-horn |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; two records, 1st August 1991, 17th September 2006. Both on easterly winds |
| Taxon | Myelois circumvoluta (Fourceroy, 1785) northernmost UK records |
| Vernacular name | Thistle Ermine |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare extra-limital migrant; three records, 12th June 1992, 16th June 2002, 3rd July 2015 |
| Taxon | Ephestia elutella (Hübner, 1796) Nationally Scarce B |
| Vernacular name | Cacao Moth |
| Fair Isle status | Unknown provenance, possible introduction with goods; one record, 22nd July 1992 |
| Taxon | Cadra cautella (Walker, 1863) Nationally Scarce B |
| Vernacular name | Dried Fruit Moth |
| Fair Isle status | Adventive, probably accidentally imported with dried foodstuffs; one record, 2nd June 2021 |
| Taxon | Loxostege sticticalis (Linnaeus, 1761) |
| Vernacular name | Beet Webworm |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; two records, 11th August 1996 - part of a small invasion to Shetland - and 11th August 2020 |
| Taxon | Sitochroa palealis (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) |
| Vernacular name | Sulphur Pearl |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant or dispersive vagrant; one field record, 22nd July 2014 (Parnaby et al. 2014). New to Scotland. |
| Taxon | Anania hortulata (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Small Magpie |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant or dispersive vagrant; one field record, 25th June 2023 |
| Taxon | Udea ferrugalis (Hübner, 1796) |
| Vernacular name | Rusty Dot Pearl |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; three records, 4th September 2002, 23rd October 2004, 26th August 2017 |
| Taxon | Udea lutealis (Hübner, 1809) |
| Vernacular name | Pale Straw Pearl |
| Fair Isle status | Extremely abundant resident, grassland habitats; common in gardens |
| First & last dates | 11th July; 30th August |
| Taxon | Duponchelia fovealis Zeller, 1847 |
| Vernacular name | European Pepper Moth |
| Fair Isle status | Adventive, two records; 14th January & 4th April 2020 - both in house, Lower Stoneybrek |
| Taxon | Nomophila noctuella ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) |
| Vernacular name | Rush Veneer |
| Fair Isle status | Scarce migrant becoming more frequent; recorded in 14 years, 1988-2022 |
| First & last dates | 13th August, 27th October; 'outliers' - 27th April, 14th & 25th June, 18th July |
| Highest total | "Major influx", 25th to 30th September 2006 (field records) |
| Taxon | Evergestis extimalis (Scopoli, 1763) |
| Vernacular name | Marbled Yellow Pearl |
| Fair Isle status | Extralimital vagrant, one record; one to light, Lower Stoneybrek, 6th September 2023 |
| Taxon | Scoparia subfusca Haworth, 1811 |
| Vernacular name | Large Grey |
| Fair Isle status | Resident; frequent, herb-rich rough grassland |
| First & last dates | 26th June; 29th July |
| Taxon | Scoparia ambigualis (Treitschke, 1829) |
| Vernacular name | Common Grey |
| Fair Isle status | Common resident; rough grassland, coastal grassland, moorland, coastal heath |
| First & last dates | 3rd June; 26th July |
| Taxon | Eudonia angustea (Curtis, 1827) |
| Vernacular name | Narrow-winged Grey |
| Fair Isle status | Rare migrant; two records, 12th & 19th July 1995 (separate individuals) |
| Taxon | Eudonia lineola (Curtis, 1827) Nationally Scarce B |
| Vernacular name | White-line Grey |
| Fair Isle status | Common under-recorded resident; first recognised 11th August 2010 |
| First & last dates | 24th June to 11th August |
| Taxon | Chrysoteuchia culmella (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Garden Grass-veneer |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; seven records, two on 11th July 2005, one on 6th July 2006, one on 23rd June 2020, and a small influx of singles on 22nd & 24th June, two on 9th & one on 10th July 2023 |
| Taxon | Crambus lathoniellus (Zincken, 1817) |
| Vernacular name | Hook-streak Grass-veneer |
| Fair Isle status | Very common day-active resident, relatively short emergence period late May-mid June |
| First & last dates | 15th May to 23rd June; 'outliers' - 26th July, 14th October |
| Taxon | Agriphila tristella ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) |
| Vernacular name | Common Grass-veneer |
| Fair Isle status | Rare migrant; eight records, first half of August 1990, 16th August 1996, 16th August 2006, 6th August 2009, 18th August 2018, 13th August 2020, 18th & 26th August 2023 |
| Taxon | Agriphila straminella ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) |
| Vernacular name | Straw Grass-veneer |
| Fair Isle status | Abundant resident, mainly grassland; long flight period, occasional synchronised mass emergences |
| First & last dates | 28th May-18th August; late outlier, 6th September 2021 |
| Highest totals | "Huge numbers", 26th June 1992, 24th July 2015 (field records) |
| Taxon | Saturnia pavonia (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Emperor Moth |
| Fair Isle status | Ship-assisted adventive; one record, 30th May 1992; boarded cruise ship between Leith and Fair Isle, released on Isle |
| Taxon | Laothoe populi (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Poplar Hawk-moth |
| Fair Isle status | Ship-assisted adventive; one record, 17th June 1999; boarded a cruise ship between Leith and Fair Isle, released on Isle |
| Taxon | Agrius convolvuli (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Convolvulus Hawk-moth |
| Fair Isle status | Formerly rare irregular, now near annual migrant; records 1988, 1992, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020 (3), 2022 (2), 2023 (6) |
| First & last dates | 6th August; 22nd September |
| Best year | Up to 10 individuals in exceptional influx, 6th August-12th September 2003 |
| Taxon | Macroglossum stellatarum (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Hummingbird Hawk-moth |
| Fair Isle status | Formerly rare irregular becoming scarce regular immigrant; recorded in 17 years from 1992, including 3 or 4 in 2003, 5 in 2006, 3 in 2015 and an unprecedented 9 in 2018 including one on 29th April, the earliest ever by 29 days; and six between 30th July & 7th August; a remarkable four together on 10th July 2023 is highest day count |
| First & last dates | 29th April (2019); 15th October (2018) |
| Taxon | Hyles gallii (Rottemburg, 1775) |
| Vernacular name | Bedstraw Hawk-moth |
| Fair Isle status | Rare irregular migrant; recorded 1974, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2003 (n=2), 2007 (n=2) and an unprecedented 4 on 28th-29th July 2019 |
| First & last dates | 5th July; 9th August |
| Taxon | Timandra comae (Schmidt, 1931) |
| Vernacular name | Blood-vein |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare extralimital migrant; one record, 28th July 2008, part of a small influx to Shetland |
| Taxon | Rhodometra sacraria (Linnaeus, 1767) |
| Vernacular name | Vestal |
| Fair Isle status | Extralimital vagrant, one record; one arriving with exceptionally warm air flow from North Africa, 5th September 2023 |
| Taxon | Xanthorhoe decoloraria (Esper, 1806) |
| Vernacular name | Red Carpet |
| Fair Isle status | Common resident; characteristics of Shetland form X. d. hethlandica |
| First & last dates | 5th July; 30th September |
| Highest total | 17, Lower Stoneybrek trap, 20th August 2006 |
| Taxon | Xanthorhoe fluctuata (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Garden Carpet |
| Fair Isle status | Relatively common two-generation resident; characteristics of northern form X. f. thules |
| First & last dates | 7th May-3rd July (1st generation); 28th July-25th September (2nd generation); one spring outlier, 9th April 2003 |
| Highest total | Eight, FIBO trap, 29th May 2003 |
| Taxon | Xanthorhoe montanata ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) |
| Vernacular name | Silver-ground Carpet |
| Fair Isle status | Very common resident, often active by day; characteristics of Shetland form X. m. shetlandica |
| First & last dates | 10th June; 17th September |
| Taxon | Camptogramma bilineata (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Yellow Shell |
| Fair Isle status | Resident, scarce inland, frequent on cliffs; characteristics of northern form C. b. atlantica |
| First & last dates | 24th June; 14th August |
| Taxon | Hydriomena furcata (Thunberg, 1784) |
| Vernacular name | July Highflyer |
| Fair Isle status | Scarce resident, first recorded 2003, singles except five in 2006, two in 2008 and five in 2022 |
| First & last dates | 30th July; 23rd September |
| Taxon | Eulithis testata (Linnaeus, 1761) |
| Vernacular name | Chevron |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; two records, 30th August 1955 & 22nd August 1999 |
| Taxon | Chloroclysta miata (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Autumn Green Carpet |
| Fair Isle status | Unclear; overlooked resident or infrequent migrant; recorded 1993, 1994, 2001, 2002, 2007, 2012, 2015 (n=2), 2018 |
| First & last dates | 24th September; 21st October |
| Taxon | Epirrita filigrammaria (Herrich-Schäffer, 1846) |
| Vernacular name | Small Autumnal |
| Fair Isle status | unclear; overlooked resident, very rare migrant or dispersive vagrant; one record, 3rd September 2006 |
| Taxon | Mesotype didymata (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Twin-spot Carpet |
| Fair Isle status | Resident, abundant by day; those with characteristics of M. d. didymata and Shetland form M. d. hetlandica commonly fly together |
| First & last dates | 17th July; 4th September |
| Taxon | Gymnoscelis rufifasciata (Haworth, 1809) |
| Vernacular name | Double-striped Pug |
| Fair Isle status | Rare migrant; three records, 10th September 2003, 9th June 2007, 30th May 2008 |
| Taxon | Eupithecia venosata (Fabricius, 1787) |
| Vernacular name | Netted Pug |
| Fair Isle status | Common resident; characteristics closest to Orkney form E. v. ochracea |
| First & last dates | 14th May; 18th August |
| Taxon | Eupithecia pusillata ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) |
| Vernacular name | Juniper Pug |
| Fair Isle status | Frequent under-recorded resident of Prostrate Juniper Juniperus communis nana-rich heath and moorland |
| First & last dates | 17th June (one), then 28th July to 21st September |
| Taxon | Eupithecia nanata Prout, 1938 |
| Vernacular name | Narrow-winged Pug |
| Fair Isle status | Scarce under-recorded resident, moorland |
| First & last dates | 29th May; 19th July |
| Taxon | Eupithecia centaureata ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) |
| Vernacular name | Lime-speck Pug |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; one record, 2nd August 2008 preceded small influx of one on 21st & 3 separate individuals on 25th August 2023 |
| Taxon | Eupithecia satyrata (Hübner, 1813) |
| Vernacular name | Satyr Pug |
| Fair Isle status | Abundant, moorland, active by day; characteristics of northern form E. s. curzoni |
| First & last dates | 8th June; 11th July |
| Taxon | Carsia sororiata (Prout, 1937) |
| Vernacular name | Manchester Treble Bar |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant or dispersive vagrant; one record, 19th August 2022 |
| Taxon | Abraxas grossulariata (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Magpie Moth |
| Fair Isle status | Annual migrant in recent years; first record in 1998, annual in increasing numbers from 2001; major influxes 2004-06; records in very tight time-frame of no more than a week consistently between the end of June and middle of July |
| First & last dates | 29th June; 7th August |
| Highest total | "As many as 100", 14th July 2006 (field records) |
| Taxon | Peribatodes rhomboidaria ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) |
| Vernacular name | Willow Beauty |
| Fair Isle status | Dispersive vagrant; only record, one, Schoolton, 14th August 2023 |
| Taxon | Scoliopteryx libatrix (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Herald |
| Fair Isle status | Rare migrant, attracted to sugar; recorded 1999, 2002, 2006, 2013, 2018, 2021, 2022; small influxes in three of the years suggest irruptive tendency |
| First & last dates | 5th August; 8th October |
| Taxon | Leucoma salicis (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | White Satin |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare extralimital migrant; one photographed, 26th June 2020 |
| Taxon | Hypena proboscidalis (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Snout |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; one record, 11th July 2002 |
| Taxon | Spilosoma urticae Esper, 1789 Nationally Scarce B; first verified Scottish record |
| Vernacular name | Water Ermine |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare extralimital migrant or dispersive vagrant; one record, 7th June 2002 (Riddiford & Shaw 2011). |
| Taxon | Arctia caja (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Garden Tiger |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; two records, 18th July 2005, 25th July 2013 |
| Taxon | Utetheisa pulchella (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Crimson Speckled |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare extralimital migrant; one record, 2nd October 1961 |
| Taxon | Pandesma robusta (Walker, 1858) |
| Vernacular name | Robust Tabby |
| Fair Isle status | Alien; one record, freshly dead amongst South African grapes, 31st January 2004 |
| Taxon | Diachrysia chrysitis (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Burnished Brass |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; five records, 27th July 1997 (first for Shetland), 12th August 2001, 18th, 22nd & 23rd July 2021 |
| Taxon | Autographa gamma (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Silver Y |
| Fair Isle status | Irregular breeder and abundant migrant subject to immense influxes; unprecedented arrival and continuous through passage north-westward on moderate south-east winds on 6th August 1996 was estimated from transect counts at a very conservation half a million; similar standard counts put the total for the whole of Shetland at "tens of millions" |
| First & last dates | 2nd May; 5th November |
| Highest total | c. 500,000, 6th August 1996 (field record) |
| Taxon | Autographa pulchrina (Haworth, 1809) |
| Vernacular name | Beautiful Golden Y |
| Fair Isle status | Unclear, probably under-recorded scarce resident; recorded 1996, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018 |
| First & last dates | 18th July; 21st August |
| Taxon | Syngrapha interrogationis (Linnaeus 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Scarce Silver Y |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; only record, one on 1st August 2023 |
| Taxon | Plusia festucae (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Gold Spot |
| Fair Isle status | Rare migrant; three records, 7th August 2006, 5th August 2010, 2nd August 2018 |
| Taxon | Acronicta rumicis (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Knotgrass |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; one record, 2nd August 2008 |
| Taxon | Amphipyra tragopoginis (Clerck, 1759) |
| Vernacular name | Mouse Moth |
| Fair Isle status | Increasingly rare irregular migrant; recorded in eight years 1991-2006 including six in 1991 and three in 1996; then no records after 2006 until 28th August & 3rd September 2018 and again on 15th September 2023 |
| First & last dates | 10th August; 27th September |
| Taxon | Heliothis peltigera ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) |
| Vernacular name | Bordered Straw |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; one record, 9th September 2002 |
| Taxon | Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner, 1808) |
| Vernacular name | Scarce Bordered Straw |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; one record, 29th August 1997 |
| Taxon | Spodoptera exigua (Hübner, [1808]) |
| Vernacular name | Small Mottled Willow |
| Fair Isle status | Adventive with produce; one record, ♂ dead, partially emerged from pupa in red pepper from Spain purchased at isle shop, 25th February 2019 |
| Taxon | Caradrina clavipalpis (Scopoli, 1763) |
| Vernacular name | Pale Mottled Willow |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; one record, 8th August 1998 |
| Taxon | Phlogophora meticulosa (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Angle Shades |
| Fair Isle status | Common resident and likely migrant; recorded all months, May to November, but only one in August |
| First & last dates | 1st May-15th November; 'outlier', 18th December was during abnormally mild weather |
| Highest total | 17, Schoolton, to sugar, 18th September 2002 |
| Taxon | Celaena haworthii Curtis, 1829 |
| Vernacular name | Haworth's Minor |
| Fair Isle status | Unclear, possibly overlooked resident; one record, 30th September 2011 |
| Taxon | Helotropha leucostigma (Hübner, 1808) |
| Vernacular name | Crescent |
| Fair Isle status | Scarce migrant; recorded in 11 years from the first in 1992, maximum three or four in 2006, three in 2015, 8 in 2019. The 1992 & a September 2023 individual showed characteristics of nominate form H. l. leucostigma |
| First & last dates | 22nd July; 22nd August |
| Taxon | Gortyna flavago ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) |
| Vernacular name | Frosted Orange |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; two records, 12th September 2021 & 8th September 2023 |
| Taxon | Hydraecia micacea (Esper, 1789) |
| Vernacular name | Rosy Rustic |
| Fair Isle status | Very common, especially in-bye |
| First & last dates | 11th July; 24th October (flight period normally not before 29th July) |
| Highest total | 59, Schoolton trap, 4th September 2018 |
| Taxon | Amphipoea fucosa (Tutt, 1888) |
| Vernacular name | Saltern Ear |
| Fair Isle status | Rare migrant; one probable and three definite records; singles on 14th August 1997, 4th August 1999, August 2003 showed characteristics of the European nominate form Amphipoea fucosa f. fucosa; one, 17th August 2020, showed characters closest to Saltern Ear though hybrid not entirely ruled out |
| Taxon | Amphipoea lucens (Freyer, 1845) |
| Vernacular name | Large Ear |
| Fair Isle status | Rare migrant; recorded in six years, 4th August 1991, 4th & 7th August 2003, 18th August 2005, three on 2nd & one on 8th August 2008, 30th July, 2nd, 4th & 8th August 2018, male on 26th August 2023 |
| Taxon | Amphipoea species (? lucens x fucosa) |
| Vernacular name | (putative hybrid ear) |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; unprecedented influx, all ♂♂, one on 7th, two on 18th and one on 19th August 2018 |
| Taxon | Amphipoea oculea (Linnaeus, 1761) |
| Vernacular name | Ear Moth |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; two records, 3rd September 1991 & 30th August 2017 |
| Taxon | Amphipoea crinanensis (Burrows, 1908) |
| Vernacular name | Crinan Ear |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; two records, 29th August 2000 & 31st August 2022 |
| Taxon | Luperina testacea ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) |
| Vernacular name | Flounced Rustic |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant or dispersive vagrant; one record, 16th August 2003 |
| Taxon | Rhizedra lutosa (Hübner, 1803) |
| Vernacular name | Large Wainscot |
| Fair Isle status | Rare migrant, perhaps irruptive; recorded in five years, three in 1992, five or six in 2006, one in 2013, two in 2018, four in 2020 |
| First & last dates | 18th September; 14th October |
| Taxon | Denticucullus pygmina (Haworth, 1809) |
| Vernacular name | Small Wainscot |
| Fair Isle status | Increasingly scarce migrant; one, 30th August 1955; thereafter 1-4 recorded in nine years, 1991-2011, then none until one on 8th September 2018, two 14th September 2020, two on 8th & one on 9th September 2023 |
| First & last dates | 20th July; 28th September |
| Taxon | Apamea remissa (Hübner, 1809) |
| Vernacular name | Dusky Brocade |
| Fair Isle status | Common resident; dark form A. r. obscura commoner than type |
| First & last dates | 14th June; 25th August |
| Highest total | 16, Lower Stonebrek trap, 5th July 2007 |
| Taxon | Apamea crenata (Hufnagel, 1766) |
| Vernacular name | Clouded-bordered Brindle |
| Fair Isle status | Formerly rare migrant, becoming commoner and possibly established as scarce resident; first record in 2005; single records to 2009, increasing annual numbers thereafter including 20 in 2018, 22 in 2020 and 32 in 2021 |
| First & last dates | 4th June; 7th August |
| Highest total | 7, Schoolton trap, 8th July 2020 |
| Taxon | Apamea monoglypha (Hufnagel, 1766) |
| Vernacular name | Dark Arches |
| Fair Isle status | Resident; most abundant larger moth on Fair Isle, particularly grassland habitats |
| First & last dates | 24th June; 23rd September |
| Highest total | 377, Barkland trap, 27th August 2006 |
| Taxon | Apamea furva (Cockayne, 1950) |
| Vernacular name | Confused |
| Fair Isle status | Relatively common resident; Fair Isle form is A. f. britannica |
| First & last dates | 1st July; 24th September |
| Highest total | Five, FIBO trap, 23rd August 2012 |
| Taxon | Apamea lateritia (Hufnagel, 1766) probably fewer than 20 UK records |
| Vernacular name | Scarce Brindle |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; two July records, 23rd July 2009, 18th July 2011 |
| Taxon | Mesapamea secalis (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Common Rustic |
| Fair Isle status | Unclear, probably migrant; small numbers of Mesapamea secalis sensu stricto recorded annually since 1999 |
| First & last dates | 18th July; 27th August |
| Taxon | Mesapamea didyma (Esper, 1788) |
| Vernacular name | Lesser Common Rustic |
| Fair Isle status | Probable migrant, has bred (2013); individuals determined on genitalia characters recorded 1993, 2003, 2006 (n=3), 2009, 2018 (n=3) |
| First & last dates | 21st July; 19th August |
| Best year | Three records, 2006 |
| Taxon | Mesapamea Heinicke, 1959 agg. |
| Vernacular name | Common/Lesser Common Rustic |
| Fair Isle status | Non-determined individuals recorded in eight years, 1993-2015; dissected individuals gave ratio of more than two to one in favour of M. secalis (20 to 8, n=28) |
| Taxon | Oligia fasciuncula (Haworth, 1809) |
| Vernacular name | Middle-barred Minor |
| Fair Isle status | Very common resident; frequently encountered day and night on Marsh Ragwort Senecio aquaticus and Wild Angelica Angelica sylvestris inflorescences; shy visitor to traps |
| First & last dates | 29th June; 14th August |
| Taxon | Xanthia togata (Esper, 1788) |
| Vernacular name | Pink-barred Sallow |
| Fair Isle status | Formerly very rare migrant, now recorded in four of the last six years, including five in September 2023; 1st September 2018, 28th August, 1st & 7th September 2021, 28th August 2022, 1st, 6th, 8th, 12th & 15th September 2023 |
| Taxon | Agrochola macilenta (Hübner, 1809) |
| Vernacular name | Yellow-line Quaker |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; four records, 29th September, 6th & 8th October 2006, 17th October 2015 |
| Taxon | Agrochola circellaris (Hufnagel, 1766) |
| Vernacular name | Brick |
| Fair Isle status | Generally scarce near-annual migrant, small influxes classically arriving on south-east winds; one big influx in September 2000 when "many" in the north |
| First & last dates | 7th September; 24th October |
| Highest total | "Many in north", 26th September 2000 |
| Taxon | Xylena exsoleta (Linnaeus, 1758) Nationally Scarce B |
| Vernacular name | Sword-grass |
| Fair Isle status | Probable rare migrant with single autumn occurrences 1999, 2005, 2011, 30th September 2023; spring adult 23rd April 1992 and full-grown larva July 2004 raise the possibility of intermittent colonist or very rare overlooked resident UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) species. Riddiford (2005) |
| First & last dates | 30th September; 14th October (excludes April record) |
| Taxon | Xylena vetusta (Hübner, 1813) |
| Vernacular name | Red Sword-grass |
| Fair Isle status | Scarce migrant, attracted to sugar; one spring record, 25th March 2009; irregular autumn visitor recorded in 11 years from first in 1999, including 6 or 7 in 2003 |
| First & last dates, autumn | 6th September; 6th November |
| Highest total | Three, Schoolton, to sugar, 1st November 2004 |
| Taxon | Eupsilia transversa (Hufnagel, 1766) |
| Vernacular name | Satellite |
| Fair Isle status | Unclear, occasional scarce migrant or rare overlooked, possibly temporary resident; recorded 1991 and five years between 2002 and 2009, including two December records |
| First & last dates | 12th September; 27th November |
| Highest total | 11, Schoolton, to sugar, 22nd October 2004 |
| Taxon | Cosmia trapezina (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Dun-bar |
| Fair Isle status | Vagrant; one record, one on 28th July 2019 |
| Taxon | Parastichtis suspecta (Hübner, 1817) |
| Vernacular name | Suspected |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; two records of three individuals, one on 3rd & two on 28th August 2000 |
| Taxon | Aporophyla nigra (Haworth, 1809) |
| Vernacular name | Black Rustic |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; three records, two together on 10th September 1991, one on 4th September 1996, one on 2nd September 2017 |
| Taxon | Dasypolia templi (Thunberg, 1792) |
| Vernacular name | Brindled Ochre |
| Fair Isle status | Common resident; recorded all months September-November, March-May; larval foodplant Angelica A. sylvestris |
| First & last dates | 9th September; 13th May |
| Highest total | 21, Shirva trap, 24th October 2022 |
| Taxon | Orthosia gothica (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Hebrew Character |
| Fair Isle status | Only five records, 21st March 2004, 17th April 2011, 19th April 2014, 4th & 13th April 2017; early spring weather largely unconducive to trapping so best treated as an overlooked resident or occasional migrant |
| Taxon | Cerapteryx graminis (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Antler |
| Fair Isle status | Very common resident, most numerous in the moorland and heath |
| First & last dates | 5th July; 25th September |
| Highest total | 55, Lower Stoneybrek trap, 2nd August 2018 |
| Taxon | Anarta trifolii Hufnagel, 1766 |
| Vernacular name | Nutmeg |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; eight records of 7 to 10 individuals, 23rd July 2006, two on 28th July & two on 1st August in 2019, one or more individuals 7th, 9th, 10th & 12th August 2021 & one on 19th August 2023 |
| Taxon | Lacanobia thalassina (Hufnagel, 1766) |
| Vernacular name | Pale-shouldered Brocade |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; two records of three individuals, one on 30th May 2014, two on 7th August 2021 |
| Taxon | Lacanobia oleracea (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Bright-line Brown-eye |
| Fair Isle status | Scarce migrant; two in 2002, five in 2003, one in 2004, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2018 & 2020 |
| First & last dates | 18th June; 4th September |
| Taxon | Ceramica pisi (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Broom Moth |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; one record, 27th July 2006 |
| Taxon | Hada plebeja (Hufnagel, 1766) |
| Vernacular name | Shears |
| Fair Isle status | Common resident; one of few 'early' species, May-June; exceptional second brood suggested by individuals on 30th August 1955, 6th September 2003, 3rd October 1997 |
| First & last dates | 12th May; 14th July (excludes the late August-October records) |
| Taxon | Hadena bicruris (Hufnagel, 1766) |
| Vernacular name | Lychnis |
| Fair Isle status | Colonising resident; first recorded 2005, annual in increasing numbers since |
| First & last dates | 18th May; 17th August |
| Highest total | 12, Schoolton trap, 7th July 2017 |
| Taxon | Hadena confusa (Hufnagel, 1766) |
| Vernacular name | Marbled Coronet |
| Fair Isle status | Common resident; one of few 'early' species, May-early June, full-grown caterpillars in early August and a number of records from mid-June to early September suggest occasional second brood; a proportion but not all show characteristics of the Shetland form H. c. obliterae |
| First & last dates | 11th May; 3rd September |
| Highest total | 12, FIBO trap, 23rd May 2012 |
| Taxon | Mythimna pallens (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Common Wainscot |
| Fair Isle status | Rare migrant; six records, 14th August 1996, 8th June 2002, 6th September 2007, 16th, 23rd & 27th August 2023 |
| Taxon | Mythimna impura (Hübner, 1808) |
| Vernacular name | Smoky Wainscot |
| Fair Isle status | Increasingly common resident; potentially a recent colonist as first record in 1990, the second in 1998, third in 2000 (all singles) then annual from 2002, initially 1-2 increasing to multiple occurrences from 2006 onwards |
| First & last dates | 5th July; 24th August |
| Highest total | 13, Schoolton trap, 2nd August 2010 |
| Taxon | Mythimna vitellina (Hübner, 1808) northernmost UK record |
| Vernacular name | Delicate |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare extralimital migrant; one record, 22nd September 2006 |
| Taxon | Peridroma saucia (Hübner, 1808) |
| Vernacular name | Pearly Underwing |
| Fair Isle status | Rare migrant; recorded in four years, singles 1997, 1999, 2015 and an unprecedented influx of 11 month-nights in 2006 involving several individuals |
| First & last dates | 22nd September; 24th October |
| Taxon | Euxoa tritici (Linnaeus, 1761) |
| Vernacular name | White-line Dart |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable |
| National status | Widely distributed but very severe decline in abundance and distribution since 1970 |
| Fair Isle status | dispersive vagrant; just two records, 14th & 19th August 2023 |
| Taxon | Agrotis exclamationis (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Heart and Dart |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; one record, 11th June 1992 |
| Taxon | Agrotis segetum ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) |
| Vernacular name | Turnip Moth |
| Fair Isle status | Rare migrant; ten records, 28th August 2000, 16th September 2002, 1st September 2005, 22nd, 25th, 29th & 30th September 2006, 9th, 11th & 13th September 2022 |
| First & last dates | 28th August; 30th September |
| Taxon | Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel, 1766) |
| Vernacular name | Dark Sword-grass |
| Fair Isle status | Relatively common near-annual migrant; mainly attracted to sugar |
| First & last dates | 9th June; 8th November |
| Highest total | 38, Schoolton, to sugar, 12th September 2003 |
| Taxon | Diarsia mendica (Fabricius, 1775) |
| Vernacular name | Ingrailed Clay |
| Fair Isle status | Abundant resident; endless variety defies allocation to specific forms |
| First & last dates | 29th June; 23rd October |
| Highest total | 89, Schoolton trap, 28th August 2002 |
| Taxon | Diarsia rubi (Vieweg, 1790) |
| Vernacular name | Small Square-spot |
| Fair Isle status | Common resident; much commoner in-bye with apparently earlier main emergence than in moorland north |
| First & last dates | 22nd June; 6th September |
| Highest total | Nine, Schoolton trap, 24th August 2013 |
| Taxon | Lycophotia porphyrea ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) |
| Vernacular name | True Lover's Knot |
| Fair Isle status | Abundant resident of moorland north, far less frequent in south |
| First & last dates | 25th June; 27th August |
| Highest total | 239, FIBO trap, 10th August 2007 |
| Taxon | Rhyacia simulans (Hufnagel, 1766) |
| Vernacular name | Dotted Rustic |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; two records, 5th September 2004 (first Shetland record for 50 years), 24th August 2015 |
| Taxon | Standfussiana lucernea (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Northern Rustic |
| Fair Isle status | Very common resident; most are the dark northern form |
| First & last dates | 27th June; 15th September (exceptional outlier, 14th June 2022) |
| Highest total | 95, Schoolton trap, 28th July 2019 |
| Taxon | Noctua pronuba (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Large Yellow Underwing |
| Fair Isle status | Abundant resident, masking any migrant activity, though the only spring records, 17th May 1992 & 30th May 2018, may have been immigrants |
| First & last dates | 12th June; 23rd October (excludes May records) |
| Highest total | 164, Lower Stoneybrek trap, 3rd July 2007 |
| Taxon | Noctua comes Hübner, 1813 |
| Vernacular name | Lesser Yellow Underwing |
| Fair Isle status | Rare migrant; recorded in five years, one September 1996, six moth-nights 2001, one August 2011, one August 2018, one 25th August 2023 |
| First & last dates | 18th August; 25th September |
| Taxon | Noctua interjecta Hübner, [1803] |
| Vernacular name | Least Yellow Underwing |
| Fair Isle status | Vagrant; two records, 20th August 2022, 28th August 2023 |
| Taxon | Noctua janthe (Borkhausen, 1792) |
| Vernacular name | Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; five records, 11th & 22nd August 2006, 20th August 2012, 11th & 15th August 2018 |
| Taxon | Eurois occulta (Linnaeus, 1758) Nationally Scarce B |
| Vernacular name | Great Brocade |
| Fair Isle status | Rare migrant; four records of six individuals, three on 14th August 1997, one on 4th August 2004, one on 22nd August 2007, one on 20th August 2023 |
| Taxon | Xestia baja ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) |
| Vernacular name | Dotted Clay |
| Fair Isle status | Rare migrant; three records, 13th August 2015, 2nd August 2018, 20th August 2020 |
| Taxon | Xestia agathina (Duponchel, 1827) |
| Vernacular name | Heath Rustic |
| Fair Isle status | Very rare migrant; one record, 3rd September 2002 |
| Taxon | Xestia xanthographa ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) |
| Vernacular name | Square-spot Rustic |
| Fair Isle status | Abundant resident; Fair Isle's commonest macromoth in late summer and early autumn |
| First & last dates | 11th July; 22nd October |
| Highest total | 171, Schoolton trap, 28th August 2002 |
| Taxon | Xestia sexstrigata (Haworth, 1809) |
| Vernacular name | Six-striped Rustic |
| Fair Isle status | Rare migrant; five records, 3rd August 2004, 2nd September 2005, 30th July & 3rd August 2006 & 24th July 2018 |
| Taxon | Xestia c-nigrum (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Vernacular name | Setaceous Hebrew Character |
| Fair Isle status | Unclear, near annual migrant or under-recorded resident; normally one to two but six in 1993, three on one night in September 2015, 12 between 2nd August & 8th September 2018 (and an unprecedented 21 (including 5 at Lower Stoneybrek) between 14th August and 9th September 2022 |
| First & last dates | 16th July; 7th October |
| Highest total | 5, LSB trap, 25th August & 9th September 2022 |
| Taxon | Eugnorisma glareosa (Esper, 1788) |
| Vernacular name | Autumnal Rustic |
| Fair Isle status | Abundant resident largely restricted to moorland north; two forms, f. glareosa outnumbering f. edda approximately 3 to 1. Very occasionally individuals are trapped with a forewing coloration intermediate between the two forms |
| First & last dates | 3rd August (glareosa); 18th September (edda) |
| Highest total | 117, FIBO trap, 14th August 2004 |
Acknowledgements
A big thankyou is extended to all the trap operators past and present, islanders, visitors and other supporters and contributors of records. The publishers of the Entomologist's Gazette are warmly acknowledged for permission to use this cut-down version of the paper, Riddiford & Young (2017) originally appearing in their journal.
References
Parnaby, S., Parnaby, D. & Riddiford, N.J. 2014. Sitochroa palealis: new to Scotland. Atropos 52: 68-69.
Riddiford, N. 2005. The status of the Sword-grass on Fair Isle. Bulletin of the Amateur Entomologists' Society 64: 74.
Riddiford, N.J. & Shaw, D. 2011. Scottish records of the Water Ermine Spilosoma urticae (Esp.) (Lep.: Arctiidae). Entomologist's Record & Journal of Variation 123: 92-93.
Riddiford, N.J. & Young, M.R. 2016. Phyllonorcyter apparella (Herrich-Schaffer, 1855) (Lep.: Gracillariidae) new to the British Isles from Fair Isle. The Entomologist's Record and Journal of Variation 128: 19-22.
Riddiford, N.J. & Young, M.R. 2017. The moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera) of Fair Isle. Entomologist's Gazette 68: 275-308.