Feathered footman

Appearance

This very distinctive moth has a wingspan of 30–35 mm. Forewings are usually yellow or light yellow, with narrow longitudinal dark brown stripse in males, while in females the striations may be missing or restricted to the outer parts. Also hind wings are yellow, but they are darker and much wider than forewings and show a dark brown edge. The antennae of the males are pinnate. The caterpillars are hairy and black, with bright spots on the sides and a reddish-brown stripe on the back. The moths are diurnal and they fly May to August depending on the location.

The larvae feed on low vegetation and grasses, such as Silver grass , Fescue , Heather , Meadow Sage , Hawkweed and Mugwort .

Distribution

This species can bes found in Europe, Anatolia, Kazakhstan, Siberia and Mongolia . The feathered footman prefers sunny, sandy, open areas with grass and herbaceous plants, rarely calcareous grasslands.

Habitat

This species can bes found in Europe, Anatolia, Kazakhstan, Siberia and Mongolia . The feathered footman prefers sunny, sandy, open areas with grass and herbaceous plants, rarely calcareous grasslands.