Ground Lackey

The forewing margin of the Ground Lackey is chequered brown and buff, with the hindwing fringes paler than the wing (these darker in the Lackey). The cross-lines on the forewing, these sometimes weak or absent, form a waist near the centre, more obvious in the male.

The adults are incapable of feeding. They fly at night and are occasionally attracted to light. They overwinter as a single layer of eggs around a standing stem of a herbaceous saltmarsh plant and can withstand being flooded by the sea.. The caterpillars can be found from April to July, the young larvae being gregarious and living in a silken web. Pupation takes place among saltmarsh plants in a slight transparent cocoon.

Size and Family

• Family – Eggar moths (Lasiocampidae)
• Small / Medium Sized 
• Wingspan Range – 31-41mm

Conservation status

• UK BAP: Not listed
• Scarce (Nationally Scarce A)

Caterpillar Food Plants

Sea Plantain (Plantago maritima), Common Sea-Lavender (Limonium vulgare), Sea Wormwood (Seriphidium maritimum), Sea-purslane (Atriplex portulacoides), Grass-leaved Orache (Atriplex littoralis) and Golden-samphire (Inula crithmoides). Also Wild Carrot (Daucus carota).

Habitat

Saltmarshes, also recorded from coastal shingle.

Distribution

• Countries – England
• Nationally Scarce A. Largely confined to the saltmarshes of the south east coast of England; northern Kent marshes,the estuaries of Essex and the Suffolk marshes. Found locally at Axmouth, Devon.
• Distribution Trend Since 1970’s = Britain: Suspected stable