Black Rustic
Common NameBlack Rustic
Scientific NameAporophyla nigra
FamilyNoctuidae
SubfamilyNoctuinae
Wingspan (mm)43
Wing Patternspotted
Primary Colorsblack, dark grey, yellow
HabitatCoastal areas, heathland, grasslands, open woodlands, gardens
Geographic RangeWestern Europe, Central Europe, North Africa
Host Plantsplantain, dandelion, dock, knotgrass, various grasses
Flight PeriodSeptember to November
Flight Stylefluttering
Conservation Statusleast-concern
Lifecycle NotesUnivoltine, with eggs laid in autumn hatching in spring. Larvae feed from spring to early summer, pupating underground. Adults emerge in late summer and autumn.
Identification TipsLook for its almost uniformly dark, velvety black forewings with indistinct paler stigmata. Its late autumn flight period is also a strong identifying feature.
Description
A medium-sized, robust moth characterized by its velvety black or very dark grey-brown forewings, often with subtle yellowish or black-outlined reniform and orbicular stigmata. The hindwings are a uniform grey-brown.
