73.015 BF2441 - Silver Y - Noctuidae - Autographa gamma

73.015 BF2441 - Noctuidae - Plusiinae - Autographa gamma - Silver Y

Adult Macro: CAT 1 - Distinctive species unlikely to be confused with others -

- click for Adult Macro Verification Guidelines

- Generally Common / Widespread - Migrant - Day-flying

Taxonomy: Macro >> Noctuidae

ID Difficulty: green

- easy to identify, generally distinctive and unlikely to be confused with other species.

ID pointers: The obvious feature is an inverted creamy white “Y” shape in the centre of the forewing, hence the name. Overall colour is a marbled grey-brown with conspicuous thoracic tufts. Several creamy-brown cross-lines. Sometimes shows a purplish sheen and some specimens that turn-up on good migration years can be a sandy brown colour.

Distribution: Mainly an immigrant to Derbyshire. Small numbers breed each year. Flies by both day and night and numbers fluctuate each year. Widely distributed throughout the county.

Flight Period: May / June / July / August / September / October / November / - On the wing May – November.

Moth Activity: Cathemeral - can be active day and night

Wingspan: 35-40mm
Forewing: 13-21mm

Food Plant: Wide range of low plants.

Recorded dates for Common [Blue-coded ] moths are not stored on the website at this current time.

IMAGES BELOW: Melbourne, Derbyshire – Tony Davison ©

Silver Y – This sandy coloured specimen turned-up at a time of high migration activity and coincided with the arrival of thousands of Painted Lady Butterflies into the UK.

Silver Y – Autographa gamma