Sloe Carpet Aleucis distinctata

The Sloe Carpet (Aleucis distinctata) is a rare geometrid moth that flies remarkably early in the year – typically February to April – its larvae feeding on Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) blossom and young leaves. As an early-spring species, it is associated with dense, mature Blackthorn scrub on chalky or sandy soils, often at woodland edges and ancient hedgerows. Nationally scarce and declining, it is most frequently recorded in southern and eastern England. In Suffolk, it is associated with mature Blackthorn in hedgerows and scrub habitats on the county’s chalk and sandy soils, and its early flight period means it is easily overlooked by recorders not active in late winter and early spring. Image: © Nuno Fialho, iNaturlaist.

Find out more: iNaturalist, UK Moths, Suffolk Moths