73.311 BF2083

Coast Dart Euxoa cursoria

(Hufnagel, 1766)

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Wingspan c. 36mm.

An extremely variable species, with examples ranging from light sandy colour to a dark brown, and with varying intensity of markings.

It occupies coastal sandhills and similar habitats, and occurs along both the east and west coasts, mainly in the north and central parts England. It also occurs widely around the Scottish coast and has been noted, probably as a migrant, in the south.

The moths fly from July to early September, and comes to light and sugar.

The larvae feed on a range of sandhill plants, including sea sandwort (Honckenya peploides) and sand-couch (Elytrigia juncea).