Description: Wingspan 35-40mm. The forewings are chocolate brown with a slight reddish tinge, but this is prone to variation. There is a black, dart-shaped mark on the forewing, containing the pale reniform and orbicular stigmata. The hindwings are pale whitish brown. Mid-July to mid-August. However, according to Skinner, mid-August to September is the flight period in Britain.

World Distribution: Eurasiatic; occurs as far north as Scandinavia, south to Portugal.

Irish Distribution: A scarce species which has only been reliably recorded in recent times from Rathlin Island, Antrim during the late 1980s. There is also an old record from Magilligan, Londonderry in 1900.

Ecology: A coastal species. The adults are attracted to light and may also visit the flowers of Ragwort Senecio jacobaea and Heather Calluna vulgaris. The larval history and the foodplant of this species are unknown.

Key Identification Features:

• Usually black wedge-shaped marks on forewings
• Earlier flight period

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

iNaturalist: Euxoa obelisca at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.