Cloaked Minor (Mesoligia furuncula)
Species

Taken at Aston, Oxon., on July 8th 2023.
(1/250th sec at f11. © David Hastings)

Description

Family: Noctuidae

Wing span: 20 - 24mm

More slender than other minors, with a narrower fore-wing. It is extremely variable. In the distinctive form bicoloria the basal half of the fore-wing is brown, contrasting sharply with the broad white trailing half, and thereby forming a cloak when the moth is at rest.

It is well-distributed in England and Wales. It is widespread but mainly coastal in southern Scotland, probably a vagrant further north. It is coastal in Ireland.

Typical habitat is open, well-drained grassland on light soils.

There is one generation from July to early September. It over-winters as a larva.

Larvae feed on grasses.

It comes to light, sugar and flowers.

Sightings

20-Aug-2023 : Aston, Oxon (1)
13-Aug-2023 : Aston, Oxon (2)
11-Aug-2023 : Aston, Oxon (6)
30-Jul-2023 : Aston, Oxon (1)
19-Jul-2023 : Aston, Oxon (1)
08-Jul-2023 : Aston, Oxon (1)

12-Aug-2022 : Aston, Oxon (1)
04-Aug-2022 : Aston, Oxon (2)
01-Aug-2022 : Aston, Oxon (2)
28-Jul-2022 : Aston, Oxon (2)
24-Jul-2022 : Aston, Oxon (1)
21-Jul-2022 : Aston, Oxon (2)
15-Jul-2022 : Aston, Oxon (1)

19-Jul-2018 : Vercors Natural Park, France