73.242 : 2188 : 10.037
Noctuidae : Hadeninae

Clouded Drab

ORTHOSIA (Orthosia) incerta (Hufnagel, 1766)
Picture
Life Cycle Guide
Picture
Description
Wingspan: 35-40mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe : Japan
UK Distribution: Common throughout most of Great Britain : Channel Isles - Local & occasional
UK Conservation Status -
  • Common = >300 10Km Squares
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name - Phalaena incerta (Hufnagel, 1766)
Type Species - Orthosia
  • Noctua instabilis ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
Type Locality -
  • Germany - Berlin Region
Flight Period: Southern England - Mid February to early June : Elsewhere - Early March to May
Habitat: Woodland : Gardens : Wherever Oak trees grow
Similar Species:-
  • Northern Drab Cororthosia opima (Hübner, [1809])
  • Lead-coloured Drab Orthosia populeti (Fabricius, 1781)
Larva: The 40mm final instar larva is light green with a broad yellow central lateral line just above the spiracles with another thin yellow lateral line above.all other areas apart from these lateral lines are series of yellow dots.Viewed from above -there is a central broad yellow lateral lines with the same yellow dots elsewhere.
Pupa: Overwinters underground in a cocoon
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: Although the moth is extremely variable there are three marks on the forewing which make identification of the Clouded Drab quite easy.In the moth photos below the the first maroon mark can be seen along the costa adjacent to the stigmata, with a second along the subterminal line and the final mark also along this line close to the dorsum.The markings are less obvious with darker coloured specimens and virtually missing in lighter coloured moths.As can be seen below, the southern moths tend to have a background that is dark or reddish brown whilst more northerly specimens tend to be lighter.

The moth is usually found in woodland habitats or wherever Oak is to be found although the larvae are not totally selective having a wide range of broadleaved trees to choose from.

It is univoltine,having a single generation from mid February to late May or early June and is a regular to the moth or sugar trap.
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.
Larval Food Plants
Taxonomy
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Type Species - ORTHOSIA:

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Subspecies:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Noctuoidea
Noctuidae
Hadeninae
Orthosiini
ORTHOSIA Ochsenheimer, 1816
orthosia Ochsenheimer, 1816
Orthosia (Orthosia) incerta (Hufnagel, 1766)
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Noctua instabilis ([Denis Schiffermüller], 1775)
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PHALAENA incerta (Hufnagel, 1766)
= Noctua instabilis [Schiffermüller], 1775
= Phalaena (Noctua) collinita Esper, 1790
= Phalaena (Noctua) contracta Esper, 1790
= Phalaena (Noctua) trigutta Esper, 1790
= Bombyx angustus Haworth, 1803
= Bombyx fuscatus Haworth, 1803
= Bombyx nebulosus Haworth, 1803
= Bombyx subsetaceous Haworth, 1803
= Phalaena instabilis
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Berlin. Magazin. 3 (3): Title Page : p. 298 - n.47
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Berlin Region
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O.i.incognita Sugi, 1955 - Japan