The wingspan is 27–33 mm. It was first described as a comparatively rare dark-reddish suffused form of the much commoner and paler arundineta Schmidt [now synonym of dissoluta]; the more general form, at least in Britain, has the forewing greyish ochreous dusted with fuscous, the two folds with a slight reddish tinge, separated by a black streak from base below cell, which runs as a more diffuse shade sometimes to termen; veins often dark grey or blackish; outer line represented by black vein-dashes; the upper stigmata interrupted in middle by the reddish tint of the cell; their upper portions marked by black dots; the lower lobe of reniform filled with black and edged with white scales, sometimes complete throughout; a series of black marginal lunules; hindwing dirty grey; the female is paler, narrower winged, without any red tinge, dusted with grey instead of fuscous, without the strong black median streak; the two folds olive fawn colour; the black in lower lobe of reniform strong and edged with white; the hindwing paler, showing more clearly a dark outer line and terminal shade; the underside of both wings with a distinct dark cell spot.[1]
Biology
Adults are on wing from July to September.
The larvae feed internally on the stems of the common reed (Phragmites australis) and pupation takes place within the stem.[2]
Habitat, Germany
Habitat
Reed beds.
References
^Seitz, A. Ed., 1914 Die Großschmetterlinge der Erde, Verlag Alfred Kernen, Stuttgart Band 3: Abt. 1, Die Großschmetterlinge des palaearktischen Faunengebietes, Die palaearktischen eulenartigen Nachtfalter, 1914
