Pale Shining Brown Polia bombycina
The Pale Shining Brown (Polia bombycina) is a scarce noctuid moth of dry, open calcareous and sandy grassland, its larvae feeding on low-growing plants of short turf, including restharrow and related species. It has a restricted distribution in Britain, largely confined to southern and eastern England, and is considered a declining species. Suffolk’s Breckland and chalk grassland habitats – with their warm, open conditions and characteristic chalk and sandy grassland flora – provide the most suitable habitat in the county. It flies in June and July and comes to light, with records from open grassland and heathland sites in the Breckland and coastal areas contributing to the county dataset. Image: © Shumik A, iNaturalist.
Find out more: iNaturalist, UK Moths, Suffolk Moths
Suffolk’s Priority Moth Species
Key
Listed as a conservation priority in Suffolk’s Biodiversity Action Plan.
Closely associated with Suffolk’s landscape and natural identity.
Identified as a key priority for recovery under Suffolk’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
Has a Species of the Month article attached.
