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factsheet Netted Carpet Eustroma reticulatum Conservation status Priority Species in UK Biodiversity Action Plan. The Netted Carpet is a medium sized and attractive moth that gets both its’ English and scientific names from the pale, net-like patterning on the forewings. This species has an extremely restricted British distribution. There are several scattered colonies known from the English Lake District concentrated in the Coniston Water and Windermere catchments. Until recently the moth was also present near Derwentwater. There are also past records of the moth from North Wales from around Bala and Dolgellau and it is possible that the moth still survives in this area. Life cycle Eggs are laid singly on the foodplant. The caterpillars develop through four stages and are fully grown by early to mid-September. By October the larvae have pupated in the soil, where they spend the winter. Emerging adults can be found from July to mid-August. They fly from dusk and come to light. Foodplants In the wild, larvae feed only on Touch-me-not Balsam Impatiens noli-tangere, which is our only native balsam in the UK. It can be distinguished from the other balsams by its large yellow flowers (>2cm) and leaves with 15 or fewer teeth on each side. The larvae feed preferentially on the flowers and the seed pods, but they will also eat the leaves. Habitat Touch-me-not Balsam is an annual plant of moist, nutrient-rich soils and usually occurs in damp open woodlands, especially along streamsides and where there is regular ground disturbance. Occasionally it is found in gardens and along roadsides. J Egg Larva Pupa Adult F M A M J J A S O N D Habitat management for the Netted Carpet If the Netted Carpet is to survive then Touch-me-not Balsam colonies must be maintained. Numbers of foodplant can fluctuate greatly from year to year and regular ground disturbance is needed for it to persist in any one location. Management should aim to maintain and expand the Balsam colonies wherever possible, particularly in the vicinity of known moth colonies. The optimal conditions for Touch-me-not Balsam are dappled shade, high soil moisture content (but not waterlogged for long periods), a high nitrogen and organic content of the soil and severe ground disturbance carried out on an annual basis. If the combination of these factors is not maintained each year then plant colonies will decline, often being replaced by perennial species such as grasses, Common Nettle Urtica dioica, Creeping Buttercup Ranunculus repens and Bramble Rubus fruticosus agg. The regulated presence of grazing cattle or other forms of ground disturbance over the winter is an important factor in providing suitable conditions for the plant. Light-levels at sites can be manipulated to create dappled sunlight where necessary through small-scale coppicing or selective removal of branches, although moisture content of the soil must be maintained. above Ideal woodland habitat top left Touch-me-not Balsam, the larval foodplant left Gardens can contain ideal habitat below left Small Phoenix larva below Netted Carpet larva How to survey/monitor From late July-early September the pale yellow/green larvae can be found. They can readily be found at rest during the day usually on the undersides of leaves, on the stems, or forming a triangle between a leaf and the stem. Care should be taken with the identification of the larvae, particularly when they are small, due to the possible confusion with those of the Small Phoenix Ecliptopera silaceata. Training can be provided to anyone volunteering to assist with surveys for Netted Carpet larvae, for further information please contact Butterfly Conservation. The adult moth can also be surveyed for by light-trapping from just after dusk from early July-mid August. Colonies of Touch-me-not Balsam should be reported to Butterfly Conservation, as it is likely that stands remain unknown. Head Office Manor Yard Telephone: 0870 774 4309 East Lulworth Wareham Dorset BH20 5QP Email: [email protected] www.butterfly-conservation.org Compiled by: Kelly Thomas, Paul Hatcher and John Hooson. Photographs by: Michael Hammett, Paul Hatcher, Graham Jones and Kelly Thomas. Butterfly Conservation is a registered charity and non-profit making company, limited by guarantee. Registered Office Manor Yard, East Lulworth, Wareham, Dorset BH20 5QP. Registered in England No. 2206468 - Registered Charity No. 254937 Designed and produced by cellcreative 01942 681648. Printed on 100% recycled stock including 75% post-consumer waste. This leaflet has been produced through the ‘Action for Threatened Moths project’ funded by English Nature.