Plain Golden Y

Noctuidae : Plusiinae

Plain Golden Y

AUTOGRAPHA jota (Linnaeus, 1758)

Kind permission - © Tim Norriss

Life Cycle Guide

Description

Wingspan: 39-45mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - ( excluding - Azores,Balearic Is.,Canary is.,Corsica,Crete,Cyprus,Madeira,Malta,Portugal & Sicily)
UK Distribution: Well distributed & fairly frequent throughout most of Great Britain,Isle of Man and Ireland : northern Scotland - local : Channel Isles - rare
UK Conservation Status -

Common = > 300 10km squares

European Conservation Status -

Least Concern

Original Species Name -

Phalaena jota (Linnaeus, 1758)

Type Species - Autographa

Phalaena gamma Linnaeus, 1758

Type Locality -

Germany

Flight Period: June - August - univoltine
Habitat: Woodland : Downland : Hedgerows : Gardens
Similar Species -

Beautiful Golden Y - Autographa pulchrina - (Haworth, 1809)

Larva: The 40mm final instar larva is bright green with darker dorsal line edged with series of thin lateral lines, a yellowish white subdorsal line and slightly thicker spiracular line.Pinacula are white with short white setae and head is green with bold lateral streak.
Pupa: Pupates in cocoon usually formed beneath host plant leaf.
Overwinters as: Larva
Observations: Although similar to Beautiful Golden Y this moth is generally larger and lighter, with stronger red undertone which is more uniform and less ornate.The stigmata is not edged in gold like the similar species and therefore appears very indistinct or missing altogether.The dark or light reddish brown forewing is marked with pink or pinkish brown tones.
The moth,typically of this genus feeds at flowers at dusk and is attracted to light.

Photo Gallery

Larval Food Plants Worldwide

Note - Plants hyperlinked in red below take the visitor to the relevant plant page on"Plants for a Future" website where further information like photos,physical characteristics,habitats,edible uses,medicinal uses,cultivation,propagation,range,height etc. are clearly listed.
Plant Families - in bold red below takes the visitor to the relevant "Lepi-plants" page where other butterflies & moths using the plants below are listed.

Apiaceae - Umbelliferae - Umbellifer Family
- Anthriscus sylvestris - Cow Parsley
- Daucus carota - Wild Carrot (UK) - Bird's Nest
- Heracleum sphondylium - Hogweed
Asteraceae - Compositae - Aster-Daisy - Sunflower Family
- Senecio vulgaris - Groundsel
Caprifoliaceae - Honeysuckle Family
- Lonicera periclymenum - Wild Honeysuckle
Lamiaceae - Labiatae - The Mint Family
- Lamium album - White Dead Nettle
- Lamium purpureum - Red Dead Nettle
- Stachys arvensis - Field Woundwort
- Stachys sylvatica - Hedge Woundwort
Rosaceae - Rose Family
- Crataegus monogyna - Hawthorn
- Prunus spinosa - Blackthorn - Sloe (Britain)
Salicaceae - Willow Family
- Salix caprea - Goat Willow
Urticaeae - Nettle Family
- Urtica dioica - Stinging Nettle - Common Nettle
- Urtica urens - Annual Nettle - Dwarf Nettle
  - Note - Larvae also feed on the following plant families
    - Betulaceae - Betula - Birch
    - Lamiaceae - Labiatae - Galeopsis - Hemp-nettle
    - Plantaginaceae - Plantago - Plantain
    - Polygonaceae - Rumex - Dock
    - Salicaceae - Populus - Poplar

Larval Food Plants

Taxonomy

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Type Species-AUTOGRAPHA:

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Subspecies:

Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Noctuoidea
Noctuidae
Plusiinae
Plusiini
AUTOGRAPHA Hübner, 1821
Autographa jota (Linnaeus, 1758)
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PHALAENA gamma Linnaeus, 1758
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PHALAENA jota (Linnaeus, 1758)
= Phalaena protea Stoll, [1782]
= Phalaena (Noctua) inscripta Esper, 1791
= Plusia percontationis Ochsenheimer, 1816
= Chrysodeixis aurigutta Hübner, [1821]
= Plusia ancora Freyer, 1832
= Plusia bartholomaeii Ménétriés, 1859
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Syst. Nat. (Edn 10) 1 : Title page : p.513 - n.93
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Germany
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A. j. jota (Linnaeus, 1758) - Nominate subspecies
A. j. anatolica (Schwingenschuss, 1938) - S.Balkans, SW.Asia, Turkey, Caucasus, NW.Iran