Flame (moth)

The Flame
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Axylia
Species: A. putris
Binomial name
Axylia putris
Linnaeus, 1761

The Flame (Axylia putris) is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found throughout Europe.

This species has creamy-buff forewings (sometimes tinged with red) with black streaking along the costa. The hindwings are whitish with a dark line along the margin. The wingspan is 30-36 mm. Unusually for a noctuid, this moth rests with its wings wrapped tightly around its body making it resemble a broken twig. It flies at night in June and July (sometimes a second brood is produced which flies in September) [1] and is attracted to light.

The larva is grey or brown with black markings and a hump at the rear end. It feeds on a variety of cereals and other herbaceous plants (see list below). The species overwinters as a pupa.

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

Recorded food plants

External links

References