Description: Wingspan 38-48 mm. Forewings are dark brown with obscure markings. The stigmata are outlined with black. The crosslines are scalloped and poorly defined, occasionally reduced to a series of small dots. Hindwings paler brown with darker veining and a small weak discal spot. Early June to mid-August.

World Distribution: Throughout Europe, from the artic circle south to the upland regions in Spain.

Irish Distribution: Widely distributed, but more commonly recorded from the eastern counties of Armagh and Down. Apparently more localised in the north and west although many of the recent records come from well-trapped sites in Fermanagh including Garvary Wood and Legatillida.

Ecology: A common species found in a wide variety of habitats. Adults are attracted to light in small numbers. The larvae feed from August until April of the following year on Blackthorn Prunus spinosa, Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna, willow Salix spp. and birch Betula spp. It overwinters as a larva.

Key Identification Features:

• Dark coloured forewings with black stigmata
• Paler brown hindwings with small discal spot

Distribution Map from NBN: Graphiphora augur at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Graphiphora augur at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.