Adults of this single-brooded moth fly at night Chalk carpet moth range
Largely confined to chalk and limestone areas, and is most common in southern England as a result. From the Midlands northwards and in Wales it has a more local distribution as far as Yorkshire and formerly County Durham Chalk carpet moth habitat
Inhabits unimproved calcareous grasslands, with a preference for sites with exposed rock and bare patches that are grazed short Chalk carpet moth status
Classified as Nationally Scarce in Great Britain Chalk carpet moth threats
This species is thought to have declined, factors responsible include the loss of natural grassland to agriculture and housing, or to scrub following the abandonment of sheep-grazing. This has caused fragmentation of habitat Chalk carpet moth conservation
A Species Action Plan has been produced for the Chalk Carpet moth under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP); this plan aims to maintain the invertebrates_freshwater
Find out more
The species action plan for the Chalk Carpet is available on-line from:
http://www.ukbap.org.uk/
Further reading on moths:
Leverton, R. (2001) Enjoying Moths. Poyser, London.
Skinner, B. (1984) Moths of the British Isles. Penguin Books, Harmondsworth
These schemes allow the government to compensate farmers for using methods that benefit the environment. The two main initiatives in the UK are the Countryside Stewardship Scheme and Environmentally Sensitive Areas. Since October 2000 these have formed part of the England Rural Development Programme (EDRP), administered by DEFRA, the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs. See http://www.defra.gov.uk/erdp/erdphome.htm for more on these initiatives.
Calcareous
Containing free calcium carbonate, chalky.
Pinvertebrates_freshwater
References
Skinner, B. (1984) Moths of the British Isles. Penguin Books, Harmondsworth.
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