Larva (description Ian F. Smith): Foodplants: August to June, overwinters off plant, in spun leaves, shoots and flowers of a wide range of herbaceous plants, ferns, shrubs and trees; Daucus, Succisa, Ononis, Mentha, Caltha, Ranunculus, Inula, Cirsium, Chrysanthemum, Lysimachia, Chenopodium, Urtica, Artemisia, Filipendula, Fragaria, Sanguisorba, Epilobium, Rubus, Salix, Betula, Ligustrum, Larix, Picea, Pteridium etc.
Length: 15 mm April described. 11mm specimen found 14thAug., pupated 25th Aug., emerged 30th Aug.1999; either delayed developer, or a second generation.
Head: Shiny black (various shades of brown marked black laterally) with yellowish white clypeus and brown labrum.
Prothorax (T1): Prothoracic shield black (various shades of brown) divided by a very fine medial line coloured as integument, anterior border as integument or a light greyish brown. Blackish prespiracular and subventral pinacula.
Mesothorax (T2): One pair widely spaced bisetose dorsal pinacula; one unisetose lateral pinaculum; two pinacula level with spiracles, the anterior bisetose; one subventral pinaculum.
Metathorax (T3): As T2
Thoracic legs: Black or pitchy brown. (yellowish, cream, brown).
Body: Various shades of brown. (light yellow, cream, green, greyish white).
Spiracles: Small, unobtrusive. Peritreme black or dark brown.
Abdominal pinacula: Shiny, coloured as integument or a little darker. (shiny black).
Setae: Translucent. Distally colourless, basally tinted light brown.
Anal segment: Anal plate shiny black or pitchy brown (light yellowish cream, yellow marked brown) with a posterior lobe . Dark anal comb.
Prolegs: Coloured as integument. Crochets dark brown. Anal prolegs with large dark brown pinaculum postero-laterally and two dark brown pinacula anteriorally.
Comment: The multiplicity of larval varieties makes confusion possible with many species. Rearing to imago is advised for confirmation. The posterior lobe on the anal plate may be constant.
UKMoths 
