Species Details

ABH: 73.353

BF: 2130

Family: Noctuidae

Subfamily: Noctuinae

Taxon: Xestia baja

Authority: ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)

Vernacular: Dotted Clay

Account: Common in woodland, heathland, scrubby grassland and marshes throughout the British Isles Combination of general appearance and two black dots close to apex of forewing is distinctive. Larva feeds on herbaceous plants such as Primrose, Stinging Nettle and Dock in autumn, and woody plants such as Blackthorn, Bog-myrtle and Willow in spring.

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: 38 — 44 mm

Surrey Flight Period: 21 Jun (1962) — 10 Sep (1990)

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/xestia-baja/
Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 292

Individuals: 170

Earliest Year: 1883

Latest Year: 2024

« Previous Random 🎲 Next »