Tawny marbled minor

Oligia latruncula

"Oligia latruncula", the tawny marbled minor, is a species of moth belonging to the family Noctuidae. It is distributed throughout Europe from northern Scotland and middle Fennoscandia in the north and then south to central Spain, Sicily and Greece. In the east, the species ranges to Western Asia. In the Alps it rises to an altitude of 2000 meters.
Tawny Marbled Minor - Oligia latruncula ***This species was recently introduced into NYC from Asia. Habitat: Attracted to a 395 nm LED light in a semi-rural area 2021 (188) Geotagged,Noctuidae,Oligia latruncula,Spring,Tawny marbled minor,United States,moth

Appearance

This species is extremely similar to the marbled minor and the rufous minor and specific identification usually requires close study of the genitalia. See Townsend et al. for genitalia images and an identification key. With a wingspan of 24–27 mm, "O. latruncula" is usually the smallest of the three, although they all overlap in size. Well-marked specimens often have noticeably dark forewings, with a blackish basal area and a coppery brown, rather than whitish, subterminal band. However, melanism is very common in this species and all-dark specimens constitute 100% of the population in some areas. "O. latruncula" flies at night from May to August and is attracted to light and sugar.
Tawny Marbled Minor - Oligia latruncula **This species was recently introduced into NYC from Asia. This moth was so dark. I tweaked it in Photoshop to lift the shadows. Habitat: Attracted to a 395 nm LED light in a semi-rural area 2021 (d) Without shadows lifted: https://www.jungledragon.com/image/116794/mystery_moth_-_family_noctuidae.html Geotagged,Noctuidae,Oligia latruncula,Spring,Tawny marbled minor,United States,introduced species,moth

Naming

The species was first described by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775.
Tawny Marbled Minor - Oligia latruncula **This species was introduced into NYC from Eurasia. Habitat: Attracted to a 365+395 nm LED lights in a semi-rural area 2022(52) Geotagged,National Moth Week 2022,Noctuidae,Oligia latruncula,Summer,Tawny marbled minor,United States,moth,moth week 2022,oligia

Food

The larva feeds internally on the stems of various grasses including "Calamagrostis" and "Dactylis", pupating in a cocoon among the roots. This species overwinters as a larva.
# ^ "The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range."

References:

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Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderLepidoptera
FamilyNoctuidae
GenusOligia
SpeciesO. latruncula
Photographed in
United States of America