| Broad-bordered yellow underwing | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Superfamily: | Noctuoidea |
| Family: | Noctuidae |
| Genus: | Noctua |
| Species: | N. fimbriata |
| Binomial name | |
| Noctua fimbriata (Schreber, 1759) | |
Noctua fimbriata, the broad-bordered yellow underwing, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. [1] [2] [3] [4] The species was first described in 1759 by Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber. [2]
Noctua fimbriata can be found throughout Europe, including the UK, and in parts of Asia, where it ranges east to the Caucasus, Turkmenistan, and Western Siberia (Novosibirsk Oblast). [2] Its type locality is in Germany. [2]
The wingspan is 45–55 mm. [4] The length of the forewings is 22–27 mm. Forewing ranging from pale ochreous and rufous in the female to red-brown and olive-green in the male; ochreous males are rare; markings slight in the female, strong in the male;inner line dark; outer and submarginal pale; upper stigmata large, pale-edged, often touching; a dark costal blotch before submarginal line: hindwing and fringe orange, with a very broad black border; the pale rufous forms are known as ab. rufa Tutt, and the deep red-brown forms as ab. brunnea Tutt; the dark olive-green males are solani F., while the paler more ochreous green specimens (? males) are ab. virescens Tutt; — a rare and handsome form of the males called by Tutt ab. brunnea-virescens has the deep red-brown and olive-green tints combine. forewing blackish = obscura Lenz.]. [5] [6] [7]
Larvae are reddish ochreous, paler at the sides and with brown spots; dorsal line paler; a dark pale-edged bar across the 12th segment; spiracles pale on dark spots. [8]
Adults of the species are, due to size and forewing markings, not easily confused with any other species that occur in the Central European parts of its range. [3] In the Mediterranean parts of its range, it resembles the congeneric species Noctua tirrenica , with which it may be confused. [3]
The moth flies in one generation [4] [8] from late June to October. [3] The larvae are polyphagous, [4] [8] [9] with hosts including Primula veris , Taraxacum , and Vitis . [9] It overwinters in its larval stage. [3]
