Description: Wingspan 28-35 mm. Forewings are pale greyish white with a dark central band which is gets broader towards the costa. Stigmata are paler against the darker band. The subterminal line is usually grey and broken. There is a series of black dots at the outer margin of the forewing. Hindwings pale whitish brown, with a darker fuscous band at the outer margin of the wings. Mid-May to mid-June.

World Distribution: Throughout Europe as far north as Finland.

Irish Distribution: Confined mainly to the southern counties of Down and Armagh, with a couple of scattered records from Portstewart dunes and the Umbra, Londonderry. Adults have been recorded well inland in Down and also around the Greater Belfast area.

Ecology: Found in a variety of habitats including waste ground; adults appear at light in small numbers and also visit flowers, especially Red Valerian Centranthus ruber and Viper's Bugloss Echium vulgare. It can occasionally be found by day, resting on fence posts and old stone walls. The larvae feed during August and September on hawkweeds Hieracium spp. and hawk's-beards Crepis spp. It overwinters as a pupa.

Key Identification Features:

• Light-coloured forewings and dark central band
• Conspicuous stigmata
• Darker fuscous banding on the hindwings

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

iNaturalist: Hecatera bicolorata at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.