Plusia festucae

Reed - Gold Owl ( Plusia festucae )

The reed - Gold Owl ( Plusia festucae ) is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of cutworms ( Noctuidae ).

Features

The reed - Gold Owl is a medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan 34-44 mm. The fore wings are reddish brown to reddish golden yellow, darkened brown in the root and midfield. In the middle there are two silvery, tear-shaped drawing elements as well as on the wing tip some silver blurred wedges. The hind wings are brownish gray. The body of the butterfly is hairy furry, at the head there is a tuft of hair. The caterpillars reach a length of up to 25 millimeters and are colored green.

Similar Species

• Plusia putnami ( Grote, 1873)

Geographical distribution and habitat

The moth preferably occurs in fens as reeds, sedges, wet meadows, Kalkniedermooren, intensive grassland on peaty soil and in Torfstichen and open raised bog.

Way of life

The reed - Gold Owl occurs in two generations per year, the first from mid-May to early July, the second of August to end of September. The caterpillars feed on various grasses such as marsh reed grass ( Calamagrostis canescens ) and reed (Phragmites australis), of sedges ( Cyperaceae ) and the Swamp Iris (Iris pseudacorus ). The caterpillars overwinter the first generation and are found from September to May of the following year, those of the second generation live from June to August.