Six-striped Rustic

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Six-striped Rustic
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Xestia
Species: X. sexstrigata
Binomial name
Xestia sexstrigata
Haworth, 1809

The Six-striped Rustic (Xestia sexstrigata) is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is distributed throughout Europe apart from the far south east.

This is a fairly small species with a wingspan of 36-38 mm. It has pale brown forewings marked with six dark fascia although some of these can be indistinct. The hindwings are pale buff, darker towards the margin. The moth flies at night in July and August [1] and is attracted to light and sugar, as well as the flowers of ragwort.

The larva feeds on various herbaceous plants including dock, plantain and various grasses. The species overwinters as a larva.

  1. ^ The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range.

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  • Chinery, Michael Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe 1986 (Reprinted 1991)
  • Skinner, Bernard Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles 1984