73.320 : 2088 : 10,350
Noctuidae : Noctuinae

Heart & Club

AGROTIS clavis (Hufnagel, 1766)
Picture
Life Cycle Guide
Picture
Description
Wingspan: 35-40mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe: Temperate Asia
UK Distribution: Resident: Common throughout Southern Britain : Local through Midlands northwards,including mainland Scotland,Isle of Man : Ireland-Scarce : Channel Islands-Local
UK Conservation Status -
  • Common = >300 10Km Squares
European Conservation Status - 
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name -
  • Phalaena clavis (Hufnagel,1766)
Type Species - Agrotis
  • Noctua segetum ([Denis & Schiffermüller],1775)
Type Locality -
  • Not specified
Flight Period: Late May to august : Single generation
Habitat: Chalk Downlands : Open dry habitats with lighter easily drained soil : Coastal sand-dunes : Gardens
Similar Species :-
  • Heart and Dart Agrotis exclamationis (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Crescent Dart Agrotis trux lunigera Stephens, 1829
  • Great Dart Agrotis crassa (Hübner,[1803])
  • Turnip Moth Agrotis segetum ([Dennis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
Larva: Larva feed from August until November,firstly on the leaves before,when larger,the roots of the host plant before overwintering in an underground cell until the spring.
Pupa: Pupates in the underground cell
Overwinters as: Fully grown larva
Observations: Although this moth is similar in appearance to the Heart and Dart A. exclamationis it does not have the dark brown collar behind the head, giving an immediate difference to the two moths.
The two central markings tend to be "blunt and club like" as opposed to "dart like" giving rise to the differently named moths.
The forewings are broader and range in base colour for straw,through greyish brown to pale brown with wing flecking that ranges in intensity and colour between dark brown to blackish.
As shown above the male antennae is almost entirely feathered.

The moth is a  regular to the light trap and is also attracted to sugar and flowers.
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 - AGROTIS:

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Type Locality:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Noctuoidea
Noctuidae
Noctuinae
Noctuini
AGROTIS Ochsenheimer, 1816
Agrotis clavis Hufnagel 1766
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PHALAENA clavis Hufnagel 1766
= Noctua cortricea Denis & Schiffermüller 1775
= Bombyx clavigerus Haworth, 1803
= Bombyx subfuscus Haworth, 1803
= Agrotis sincerii Freyer, 1849
= Agrotis transversa Walker, 1857
= Agrotis corticea grammomima Bryk, 1949.
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AGROTIS Ochsenheimer 1816
= Powellinia Oberthür 1912
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PHALAENA clavis clavis Hufnagel 1766
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Berlin. Magazin. 2 (4) : Title Page : p.426 - n.XLV11
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Not Specified