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Flame Carpet.
(Xanthorhoe designata)


A Flame Carpet moth waiting for release from the moth trap before I can have my breakfast ! I had misidentified it as a Common Carpet before being put on the 'straight and narrow' by Peter Cranswick.

Information:
Grey fore-wing with a fairly narrow two-tone black and red-brown-rosewood striped jagged central cross-band. The central band is wider at the leading edge end and narrows towards the trailing edge. There is a distinct double-'V' on the lower edge of the central band near the leading edge.
They can be seen flying in May-June and July-August in many habitats including, for example, upland grass, moorland woods, gardens and downland areas. They are common and resident over most of Britain. Flame Carpets have a fore-wing length of 11-14mm and are somewhat similar to the Red Carpet.