The knot grass moth is a gray, mottled Eurasian moth whose caterpillar is far showier than the adult: dark brown with white side spots, red spots on the back, and tufts of hair. It lives across Europe and Asia and isn't found in North America.
Appearance
- Appearance
- Wingspan about 1.3–1.7 in (34–44 mm). The forewings are mottled dark and light gray, with a small white spot halfway along the trailing edge; the hindwings are dark brown.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Meadows
- Gardens
- Hedgerows
- Range
- Found across almost all of Europe and east through Russia to northwestern China, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan.
Behavior
- Activity
- Flies at night and comes to lights.
- Overwintering
- In Europe it overwinters as a pupa in a cocoon spun among leaves or leaf litter.
Life cycle
- Breeding season
- Usually two a year in Britain (May–June and August–September); one in the far north and up to three in southern Europe.
- Larva
- About 1.2–1.6 in (30–40 mm) long when grown, dark brown with a row of white spots along each side, red spots down the back, and hairs in tufts.
- Caterpillar food plants
- Mainly low plants such as sorrel and dock, bramble, thistles, and hop, plus cherry and plum trees (Prunus); in Europe it is sometimes a minor pest of strawberries, raspberries, and fruit trees.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
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