73.324 : 2090 : 10,347
Noctuidae : Noctuinae

Crescent Dart

AGROTIS trux (Hübner,[1824])
Picture
Kind permission - © Tim Norriss
Life Cycle Guide
Picture
Description
Wingspan: 35 - 42mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - less (Czech Republic,Denmark,Estonia,Finland,Germany,Hungary,Latvia,Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway,Russia,Slovakia & Sweden) : Algeria : Iraq : Iran : Syria : Turkey : N Africa
UK Distribution: South and west coasts of Britain from Sussex,Hampshire,Isle of Wight to N Wales - scattered : Scilly Isles,Isle of Man - well establishes : E & SW coast of Ireland - local : Channel Isles - frequent
UK Conservation Status -
  • Local = 101 - 300  10km squares
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name -
  • Noctua
Type Species - Agrotis
  • Noctua
Type Locality -
  • Europe
Flight Period: South - mid June - August & September - October - two generations : Elsewhere - July - August with possible second generation October
Habitat: Coastal Cliffs : Rocky Shorelines
Similar Species -
  • Turnip Moth - Agrotis segetum - ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
  • Heart & Club - Agrotis clavis - (Hufnagel, 1766)
  • Great Dart - Agrotis bigramma - (Esper, 1790)
Larva: The 40mm final instar larva is brownish grey with a faint pale dorsal line,much darker either side.The head is light brown with large black markings
Overwinters as: Larva
Observations: The moth is variable with pale brown to blackish forerwing with small pale orbicular spot,outlined darker with relatively pointed forewing and straight costa helps to identify this mothfrom its relative species. The females are usually darker whereas the male is usually pale or dark brown with freckles with dark brown.Females forewings are usually black with vary degrees of grey shading especially after the reniform stigmata.Hindwing is greyish white.

Moth is attracted to light and sugar.

Subspecies
A.t.lunigera Stephens, 1829 - Great Britain- south coast of England and Ireland
Subspecies
A.t.trux (Hübner,[1824]) - Nominate subspecies
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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Subspecies:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Noctuoidea
Noctuidae
Noctuinae
Noctuini
AGROTIS Ochsenheimer, 1816
Agrotis trux (Hübner,[1824])
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NOCTUA segetum Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775
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NOCTUA trux (Hübner,[1824])
= Noctua lenticulosa Duponchel, 1826
= Agrotis terranea Freyer, 1831
= Agrotis obesula Smith, 1888
= Agrotis nili Bethune-Baker, 1894
= Athetis euxoides Rothschild, 1920
= Agrotis adolfi Corti & Draudt, 1933
= Agrotis trux rubrofusca Boursin, 1964
= Scotia trux maderensis Pinker, 1971
= Euxoa obesula
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Sammlung europäischer Schmetterlinge / errichtet von Jacob Hübner in Augsburg. 1761-1826 : Lepidoptera 1V : Noctua 11 : p.163 - f.770
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Europe
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A.t.trux (Hübner,[1824]) - Nominate subspecies
A.t.lunigera Stephens, 1829 - Great Britain - south coast of England and Ireland