The wingspan is 27–35 mm. The length of the forewings is 16–19 mm. The forewings are a deep olive yellow, faintly dark dusted, from the base to the outer line, beyond which the terminal area is purplish grey, paling towards termen; the lines bright brown; the inner angled inwards on the veins and outwards between them; the outer stronger, oblique and slightly sinuous from the subcostal bend, generally followed by a purplish-grey shade; median shade bent on median vein: submarginal line lunulate-dentate, dark brown, the area beyond it often golden brown; orbicular and reniform of the ground colour, with brown outlines and brownish centres; the claviform outlined only; hindwing straw yellow; with broad black terminal border, dark cellspot, and pale fringe; — ab. marginata is a paler yellow form, with the termen of both wings paler, and the dark centre of the reniform stigma prominent; a rare aberration, in which the base of forewing is darkened, is called rutilago Haw.[1][2]
Biology
The moth flies from May to September depending on location.
Larva green to reddish brown, mottled with yellowish, and dotted with black; dorsal line dark, white edged; subdorsal lines fine, yellowish white; lateral lines white or yellow; head pale brown. The larvae feed on Ononis, fireweed and Honckenya peploides, but also deciduous trees, shrubs and other herbaceous plants- vetch Viciaspp., Linaria spp., Antirrhinum spp. [3]
Habitat
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
^Walter Forster, Theodor A. Wohlfahrt: Die Schmetterlinge Mitteleuropas. Band 4: Eulen. (Noctuidae). Franckh’sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1971, ISBN 3-440-03752-5.
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