Powdered Quaker (Orthosia gracilis) | Species | ||||||||
 Taken at Aston, Oxon., on April 12th 2024. (1/250th sec at f13. © David Hastings) DescriptionFamily: Noctuidae Wing span: 30 - 38mm This moth has a rather long, comparatively pointed fore-wing, with a delicate pastel ground colour, and a powdered or grainy appearance due to fine black speckling. Usually there are quite large oval and kidney marks, a curved row of fine blackish dots beyond the kidney mark, and a dark-edged pale outermost cross-line. It is extremely variable in ground colour. It is common and well-distributed throughout most of the British Isles. It is most common in marshes, but also occurs in damp woodland, gardens and open country. There is one generation in April and May. It overwinters as a pupa in an underground cocoon, with the adult fully formed inside. Larvae feed on herbaceous and woody plants, including willows, Black-poplar, Blackthorn, Meadowsweet, Purple Loosestrife and Fleabane. It comes to light and sugar, and feeds at Sallow catkins and Blackthorn flowers. Sightings
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