Light Arches (Apamea lithoxylaea) | Species | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Taken at Aston, Oxon., on June 16th 2026. (© David Hastings) (Canon R6+RF100, f/10, 1/200th, ISO 2000, 100mm) DescriptionFamily: Noctuidae (ABH : 73.163) Wing span: 36 - 46mm The fore-wing is tapered, a light reddish-straw colour, and finely marked with darker streaks and dots. There is a short, roughly scythe-shaped dark mark near the centre of the wing, and two diffuse brownish wedges on the outer edge. It is common and widespread throughout most of the British Isles. It can be found in a wide range of grassy places, including gardens, calcareous grassland and woodland rides. There is one generation per year from late June to early August. It overwinters as a larva. Larvae initially feed on the flowers and seeds, and later the stem bases, of grasses. It comes to light, sometimes in numbers, and feeds at sugar and flowers. Earliest UK sighting: 16th June ; Latest UK sighting: 6th July Sightings
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