Species Details

ABH: 73.261

BF: 2150

Family: Noctuidae

Subfamily: Hadeninae

Taxon: Polia nebulosa

Authority: (Hufnagel, 1766)

Vernacular: Grey Arches

Account: Common in broad-leaved woodland, areas with scattered trees and gardens throughout the British Isles. Widespread and still fairly common in Hampshire. Not recorded from the Isle of Wight since 1983. Wingspan 46-58 mm. The main confusion species is Silvery Arches P. trimaculosa, but P. nebulosa differs, for example, in having a distinct, longitudinal tornal dash. Larva feeds on various deciduous trees and shrubs, including Hazel, Downy and Silver Birch, Honeysuckle, Sallow and Bramble.

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: 46 — 58 mm

Surrey Flight Period: 25 May (2025) — 8 Aug (1986)

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

Foodplant: Polyphagous.

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

Status: Least Concern (LC)

UK BAP:

WCA:

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/polia-nebulosa/
Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 505

Individuals: 205

Earliest Year: 1893

Latest Year: 2025

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