Species Details

ABH: 73.342

BF: 2107

Family: Noctuidae

Subfamily: Noctuinae

Taxon: Noctua pronuba

Authority: (Linnaeus, 1758)

Vernacular: Large Yellow Underwing

Account: Common often abundant, in a wide range of habitats, including grassland, gardens, woodland and moorland throughout the British Isles. Although variable, with a number of distinct forms, Large Yellow Underwing is usually unmistakable, although a pitfall for the unwary is the assignment of occasional small specimens to the extremely rare and declining Lunar Yellow Underwing N. orbona — both share a small black apical streak, but Large Yellow Underwing lacks the diagnostic black discal spot in the hindwing, which can be seen by gently lifting up the forewing with forceps. Larva feeds various grasses and herbaceous plants.

Accounts provided by and used with the kind permission of Mike Wall, Hampshire County Moth Recorder. These will in due course be gradually replaced with species accounts with a Surrey context.

Wingspan: 50 — 60 mm

Surrey Flight Period: 1 May (2025) — 30 Nov (2022)

The flight period of overwintering adults are not given. See the flight chart below the distribution map.

Foodplant: Gramineae, Polyphagous.

Foodplant accounts are from the HOSTS database — Natural History Museum, London, UK. (CC0).

Status: Least Concern (LC)

UK BAP:

WCA:

Click here to view the full geology map of Surrey.

Verification Grade: 1 — Relatively easily identified 👌

Further Information: https://www.ukmoths.org.uk/species/noctua-pronuba/

Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 3185

Individuals: 7386

Earliest Year: 1893

Latest Year: 2025

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