Species Details

ABH: 73.175

BF: 2338

Family: Noctuidae

Subfamily: Xyleninae

Taxon: Oligia versicolor

Authority: (Borkhausen, 1792)

Vernacular: Rufous Minor

Account: Local in woodland, heathland, sea cliffs and gardens throughout much of southern England and Wales Marbled Minor O. strigilis, Rufous Minor O. versicolor and Tawny Marbled Minor O. latruncula, especially their melanic forms, can only reliably be separated by dissection of the genitalia. Typical examples of Rufous Minor have reniform stigma larger, fuller and rounder than in the other species, and often conspicuously pale against the dark median shade, and it may possible with experience to assign well-marked individuals to Rufous Minor at a particular site once the observer is familiar with the forms present in that area. Larva feeds on various grasses.

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: 23 — 28 mm

Surrey Flight Period: 1 Jun (2011) — 6 Aug (1984)

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

Foodplant: Gramineae.

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: 4 — ️‼️Dissection required️‼️
Further Information: https://www.ukmoths.org.uk/species/oligia-versicolor/
Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 55

Individuals: 11

Earliest Year: 1886

Latest Year: 2015

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