The Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua janthina) is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is distributed throughout Europe.

Like other members of its genus this species has bright orange-yellow hindwings but as the common name suggests the black sub-terminal bands are very broad and account for about half the area of the hindwings. The forewings are more cryptically marked but are generally more attractively marked than in its congenitors, variegated in shades of buff and purplish-brown. The wingspan is 34-44 mm. The adults fly at night from July to September and are attracted to light and sugar.

The larva is brown with v-shaped markings along the back. It feeds on a wide variety of plants (see list below). The species overwinters as a larva.

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

Recorded food plants

• Arum - Cuckoo Pint
• Crataegus - Hawthorn
• Hedera - Ivy
• Primula
• Prunus - Blackthorn
• Rubus
• Rumex
• Salix - Willow
• Ulmus - Elm
• Urtica - Nettle
• ''Viola

External link

• Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera pages

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

Noctuidae