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Noctuidae : Noctuinae

Lesser Yellow Underwing

NOCTUA comes Hübner, [1813]
Picture
Life Cycle Guide
Picture
Description
Wingspan: 38-48mm
Worldwide Distribution: Southern Europe : Central Europe : Morocco : Algeria : Tunisia : Middle East : Syria : Iraq : Iran : Turkey : Caucasus : Transcaucasia : Armenia : introduced into British Columbia & Washington
UK Distribution: Widespread and common throughout British Isles : Ireland : Channel Isles : Isle of Man
UK Conservation Status -
  • Common = >300 10Km Squares
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name:-
  • Noctua comes (Hübner, [1813])
Type Species - Noctua
  • Phalaena pronuba (Linnaeus, 1758)
Type Locality -
  • Europe
Flight Period: June-September-Single generation-Univoltine-sometimes found in October in small numbers.
Habitat: Woodland : Heathland : Gardens : Downland : Moorland
Similar Species:-
  • Lunar Yellow Underwing Noctua orbona (Hufnagal, 1766)
Larva: August-June. The light brown larva can have a buff lateral line with black angled markings sitting on top of the line at most abdominal segments.Viewed from above there a pair of angled black markings on the first 4 or 5 abdominal segments from the rear of the caterpillar(See photos below)
Pupa: Pupates underground
Overwinters as: Small larva
Observations: The main defining identification of the moth is the dark crescent shapes on the hindwings as shown,sadly not clearly,in photo 4.
Its similar species the rare Lunar Yellow Underwing N. orbona has a black patch near the forewing apex along the leading edge which clearly is missing in N. comes where the submaginal line thickens to create a black triangular shape in the same place.
The moth forewing colour is variable as well as the intensity of the forewing cross-lines.

The Lesser Underwing is one of those underwings that are found in considerable numbers at the moth trap and are also attracted to sugar as well as being found feeding on flowers.


Photo Gallery


Larva
Lesser Yellow Underwing larvae are polyphagous,feeding on a wide variety of plant families described below.
Seen in my garden the larva below was found feeding on a member of the Brassica family that was planted with wildflower garden seeds.

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 - NOCTUA:

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Type Locality:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Noctuoidea
Noctuidae
Noctuinae
Noctuini
NOCTUA Linnaeus, 1758
Noctua comes Hübner, [1813]
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Phalaena pronuba (Linnaeus, 1758)
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NOCTUA comes Hübner, [1813]
= Noctua orbona Fabricius, 1787
= Phalaena (Noctua) pronuba-minor Villers, 1789
= Tryphaena curtisi Newman, 1870
= consequa Curtis
= Rhyacia orbona f olivacea Turati, 1924
= Noctua comes loeberbaueri Burmann & Tarmann, 1987
= Noctua comes scotophila Burmann & Tarmann, 1987.
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Sammlung europäischer Schmetterlinge / errichtet von Jacob Hübner in Augsburg. By Hübner, Jacob, 1761-1826 : Lepidoptera 1V : Noctuae 1 : p.111 - f. 521
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Europe