Description: Wingspan 33-40mm. Forewings variable ranging from light brown to grey. Small reniform stigma and dark dentate crosslines. Hindwings whitish brown with small discal spot and darker veining; small brown broken line at the outer margin of hindwing. May and June in Britain according to Skinner.

World Distribution: Across most of Europe as far north as Finland south to Spain.

Irish Distribution: Rare throughout Ireland. There is an old record for Tullylagan, Co. Tyrone in 1897, collected by Thomas Greer. This was first Irish record and is the only acceptable N. Ireland record. The specimen in is the National Museum, Dublin.

Ecology: A species which is normally associated with exposed habitats such as coastal cliffs, shingle beaches and upland regions. Males come to light more often than females, which are seldom ever seen. Adults become active at dusk and visit flowers such as Red Valerian Centranthus ruber. The larvae feed on Wild Thyme Thymus polytrichus from July to September. It overwinters as a mature larva.

Key Identification Features:

• Small reniform stigma and dentate crosslines
• Discal spot and dark broken line on hindwing

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

iNaturalist: Agrotis cinerea at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.