Drymonia dodonaea (D. & S.) Marbled Brown
p41. Resident, local; locally common. 54 Chesterford Park, occasional (JR); 63 Thaxted, 1973,
1978 (AJF); 92 Layer-de-la-Haye / Berechurch (JY); 93 Great Horkesley, 1984 (BH); 02 Parson's
Heath, 1977 (JY); 13,23 Stour and Copperas Woods NRs, common (MEA, PS).
Drymonia ruficornis (Hufn.) (Chaonia ruficornis) Lunar Marbled Brown
p41. Resident, fairly widespread and locally common.
Gluphisia crenata (Esp.) Dusky Marbled Brown
pl32. No recent record.
Clostera pigra (Hufn.) Small Chocolate-tip
p42. Resident, formerly widespread and common, now very rare; save for the following, not
recorded since 1956 (see Guide):92 Berechurch, four larvae (not reared), 1982 (JY). The post-1960
dot for square 70 on map 37 in MBGBI,9 cannot be substantiated.
Clostera anachoreta (D. & S.) Scarce Chocolate-tip
Migrant, very rare. Traced since the publication of the Guide are old records from 38 Wanstead,
reared from aspen (Stephens, 1829) and of two larvae near 23 Dovercourt on 26 Sept. 1907 and a
female imago at 11 Clacton-on-Sea on 8 Aug. 1908 (Kitchener, 1908). These and the following are
the only Essex records: 90 Bradwell-on-Sea, 9 May, 16 July 1976 (AJD) and 2 June 1981
(SFJD).
Clostera curtula (Linn.) Chocolate-tip
p42. Resident, rather local; locally fairly common; mainly southern and eastern.
Diloba caeruleocephala (Linn.) (Episema caeruleocephala) Figure of Eight
p90. Resident, widespread and locally common.
LYMANTRIIDAE
Tussock moths comprise mainly medium-sized species to large moths that have very furry bodies and
extremely feathery antennae in the males. Their overall shape is similar to that of the noctuids. The
females in the genus Orgyia (vapourers) are flightless and in the gypsy moth the female, though fully
winged, is incapable of flight. In most species the haustellum is rudimentary and non-functional. The
larvae of all species are adorned with tufts of brightly coloured hairs which often cause severe
irritation if the larvae are handled. The larva of one species, the brown-tail, is a pest, defoliating its
foodplants and eliminating other species of Lepidoptera which are in competition with it Most species
are polyphagous or oligophagous on trees, shrubs or heathers. The majority hibernate as larvae but
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