Large yellow underwing
| Large yellow underwing | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Superfamily: | Noctuoidea |
| Family: | Noctuidae |
| Genus: | Noctua |
| Species: | N. pronuba |
| Binomial name | |
| Noctua pronuba | |
| Synonyms | |
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The large yellow underwing (Noctua pronuba) is a moth, the type species for the family Noctuidae. It is an abundant species throughout the palearctic, one of the most common and most familiar moths of the region. In some years the species is highly migratory with large numbers appearing suddenly in marginal parts of the range.
Description and life cycle
Adults have a wingspan of around 45-55 mm. The patterns and colours on the forewings vary widely by specimen, though the yellow-orange underwings with a black stripe at the base remain consistent.
As with other Noctua species (and numerous other insects), this contrast of bland-on-land and bright-in-flight is used to confuse potential predators.[citation needed] It will visit flowers such as Buddleia, ragwort, and red valerian.[additional citation(s) needed]
This adult flies at night from mid to late summer and is attracted to light, sometimes in huge numbers. The larvae, of the cutworm type, can be found from late summer to early spring, feeding at night and hiding underground at day, they are green or brown with two rows of black dashes along the back.
Technical description and variation
Antennae in male ciliated. Forewings ochreous-brown to dark fuscous, sometimes reddish tinged, sometimes partly irrorated with grey-whitish, especially towards costa anteriorly; lines often paler, dark-edged, sometimes faint, subterminal preceded on costa by a blackish mark orbicular and reniform more or less pale-edged, outlined with darker, reniform partly marked with dark grey. Hindwings ochreous-orange; a blackish terminal band. Larva pale green to dull brown; dorsal line pale; subdorsal series of blackish longitudinal marks on 5-12; a pale line beneath these; subspiracular pale; head light brown, dark-marked. See Noctua orbona, the lunar yellow underwing and Noctua comes, lesser yellow underwing for differences between these species and pronuba.
On forest floor of Gatineau Park, Quebec
Mounted adult specimen
Caterpillar
Caterpillar in defensive posture
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Distribution
It is present in Europe, North Africa, Canary Islands, Middle East, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, northwest India, Russia, Novosibirsk Oblast, Caucasus, Transcaucasia and Central Asia. It was introduced into North America at Nova Scotia. Since then it has increased its range considerably and has been recorded for Maine since 1985, and then spread throughout the northeast from Vermont and Massachusetts (1989) to New Hampshire (1990), New York, Maryland (1992), and Connecticut (1993). It was first recorded in Pennsylvania in 1998, North Carolina (1997) and west to Colorado (1999), Wyoming (2000), Washington (2000), California (2001), British Columbia (2002) and Alaska (2005).
Numbers are often increased by large migratory influxes.
Recorded food plants
- Allium
- Beta – beet
- Brassica
- Calendula – marigold
- Chrysanthemum
- Dahlia
- Daucus – carrot
- Dianthus – carnation
- Fragaria – strawberry
- Freesia
- Gladiolus
- Hieracium – hawkweed
- Lactuca – lettuce
- Lycopersicon – tomato
- Plantago – plantain
- Poaceae – grasses
- Primula
- Rhubarb
- Solanum – nightshades (including potato, pepper, and tomato plants)
- Spinach
- Taraxacum – dandelion
- Viola – sweet violet
- Vitis – grape
See Robinson, G.S. et al.
Relationship to humans
As pests
The larvae are often considered pests, due to damage to garden plants and crops.
References
- 1 2 "Large Yellow Underwing | Noctua pronuba | UKmoths". www.ukmoths.org.uk. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- 1 2 3 "Large Yellow Underwing". butterfly-conservation.org. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ "Large Yellow Underwing". www.britishandirishmoths.co.uk. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
- 1 2 "European Lepidoptera and their ecology: Noctua pronuba". www.pyrgus.de. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ "Winter cutworm, Noctua pronuba" (PDF). www.canr.msu.edu. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- ↑ Meyrick, E., 1895 A Handbook of British Lepidoptera MacMillan, London pdf
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. - ↑ David Lentz, Jr. (2006). "Invasive Moth Spreads throughout Southeast Alaska" (PDF). Southeast District Update. University of Alaska Fairbanks: 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 August 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
- ↑ Robinson, Gaden S.; Ackery, Phillip R.; Kitching, Ian; Beccaloni, George W.; Hernández, Luis M. (2023). "Robinson, G.S., P.R. Ackery, I.J. Kitching, G.W. Beccaloni & L.M. Hernández (2010). HOSTS – A Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants. Natural History Museum, London". Natural History Museum. doi:10.5519/havt50xw.
- ↑ "Winter cutworm". www.canr.msu.edu. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
- Chinery, Michael (1986). Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe.
- Skinner, Bernard (1984). Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles.
External links
- Lepiforum
- Noctua pronuba at funet.fi