Species Details

ABH: 73.124

BF: 2362

Family: Noctuidae

Subfamily: Xyleninae

Taxon: Hydraecia petasitis

Authority: Doubleday, 1847

Vernacular: Butterbur

Account: Local in damp grassland, marshes and river-banks throughout much of England, Wales and Scotland Unlikely to be confused with any other species: Rosy Rustic H. micacea is usually considerably smaller, redder, with straighter postmedian line with sharply contrasting paler area beyond, and with paler hindwing; Marsh Mallow Moth H. osseola is the same size as Butterbur but the forewing is pale ochreous brown or putty-coloured, and the reniform stigma contains a dark dorsal dot (MBGBI Vol 10). Larva feeds on Butterbur, over-wintering as an egg.

Accounts provided by and used with the kind permission of Mike Wall, Hampshire County Moth Recorder. These will in due course be gradually replaced with species accounts with a Surrey context.

Wingspan: 40 — 52 mm

Surrey Flight Period: 26 Aug (1946) — 26 Aug (1946)

The flight period of overwintering adults are not given. See the flight chart below the distribution map.

Foodplant: Petasites hybridus (Butterbur), Petasites sp.

Foodplant accounts are from the HOSTS database — Natural History Museum, London, UK. (CC0).

Status: Least Concern (LC)

UK BAP:

WCA:

No distribution map – Sensitive species!

Click here to view the full geology map of Surrey.

Verification Grade: 2 — Care needed to identify 🤔
Further Information: https://www.ukmoths.org.uk/species/hydraecia-petasitis/
Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 1

Individuals: 1

Earliest Year: 1946

Latest Year: 1946

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