Description: Wingspan 28-38mm. There are two main colour forms. The most commonly encountered form is grey brown with an orange yellow band across the forewings. There is also a melanic form ab. nigrofulvata which has much darker brown forewings with similar markings. It is present in small numbers throughout its range here. End of May to late August.

World Distribution: Across Europe to eastern Siberia.

Irish Distribution: Widely distributed over most of the province in scattered localities, especially in southern counties. Reported frequently from well-recorded sites such as Peatlands Park and the Argory, Armagh and also Bohill NNR, Castle Espie and Belvoir Park Forest, Down.

Ecology: A species normally associated with conifer plantations where it rests by day among pine trees. Adults appear frequently at light in small numbers. The typical and melanic form (ab. nigrofulvata) occur together in most localities. The larvae can be found during the summer and early autumn on Scots Pine Pinus sylvestris and Norway Spruce Picea abies. It overwinters as a pupa.

Key Identification Features:

• Different colour forms
• Orange-brown band across forewings

Distribution Map from NBN: Semiothisa liturata at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Semiothisa liturata at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.