Moths in the Noctuidae family

Eggs are laid in May and August, however the the eggs laid in August do not survive to breed as adults. The eggs are pale and shiny and vary in colour from green to dark olive.

Noctuidae family.

There are 25 000 species worldwide, and over 400 species in the UK alone. Many are of economic importance as they include the cutworms and army worms.

Adults are usually brown or grey, but some have brilliantly coloured underwings which they flash when disturbed. All adults are nocturnal, and are often called the Owlets.

Wingspan ranges from 30 - 50 mm. Adults have a pair of hearing organs (tympana), one of each side of the thorax. The moths themselves do not make any noise, but the tympana allow them to detect the high-pitched sounds made by echo-locating bats, which are a major predator.

Silver Y

Right and left is the Silver Y moth, Autographa gamma. So-called because of the white y mark clearly seen on its front wings. It is abundant in the UK and Europe, and flies both day and night. Though it is abundant it cannot overwinter in the UK, and is most commonly seen flying in the autumn. It migrates to the U. K. from North Africa and southern Europe. Its wingspan is 32 - 43 mm.

The caterpillar has only two pairs of prolegs and feeds on almost any kind of plant, but can be a pest species on cabbage and pea plants. It pupates in a black silk cocoon attached to the foodplant. It overwinters in southern Europe and as the weather warms migrates as far north as the Arctic Circle. In the UK it has two generations per year.

Mother Shipton, Callistege mi

This beautiful moth (right) is found throughout Europe. The caterpillar is up to 40 mm long, and thin like a looper with just 3 pairs of prolegs. It feeds on clover and similar plants. There is one generation a year. The eggs are laid in June and hatch after 3 weeks. In September they pupate and overwinter. The adults emerge the following year in May or June.

Below is the typical Noctuidae caterpillar body.

It pupates in the soil in May. The pupa is chestnut brown.

The beautiful adult emerges to mate in June or July and flies until October. It is a fast flier. It has a wingspan of 52 - 61mm. The yellow underwings are usually kept hidden at rest, and when it is disturbed it will flash them to startle predators.

The very tatty adult above was found clinging to the underside of the lid of my compost bin in August.

Grey dagger, Acronicta psi, Apatele psi

The grey dagger (right) is common throughout Europe and the British isles. There is one generation a year, though there may be 2 generations in the south.

Eggs are laid singly on the foodplant (see caterpillar) leaves in July or August, and hatch in a week.

The caterpillar (see left) is blue/grey with a yellow stripe down its back, and white below the spiracles, red spots above, a black head, a spike on its back just after the true legs, and another spike or hump just before the last pair of prolegs. Foodplants include birch, alder, hawthorn, blackthorn, plum, pear, apple, and many others. Length is up to 38 mm. They feed from August until October, then pupate in cocoons in the cracks of bark, in rotten wood or in the soil.

Adults emerge the following year in June. Adult length at rest is 17 - 20 mm, and the wingspan is 30 - 42 mm. It is very similar to the Dark dagger, Acronicta tridens.