Description: Wingspan 34-44 mm. Adults can be quite variable in colour. Forewings are usually purplish brown suffused with grey. The stigmata are normally outlined with a pale fine line but are not always clearly defined. The hindwings are more yellow than the other species in this genus. Beginning of July to the end of September.

World Distribution: Western Palaearctic; in Europe recorded from Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland.

Irish Distribution: Common and widespread throughout N. Ireland and on Rathlin Island.

Ecology: Found in a wide variety of habitats including woodlands, bogs and mature gardens. Adults are attracted to light and also visit flowers especially Ragwort Senecio jacobaea, Buddleia Buddleja davidii, lavender and garden plants. This is one of the most frequently encountered moths in garden traps. The larvae, which overwinter, feed from September to May on Blackthorn Prunus spinosa, willow Salix spp. and dock Rumex spp.

Key Identification Features:

• Size
• Colour of forewings
• Yellow-coloured hindwings with dark lunules

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

iNaturalist: Noctua janthe at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.