Silver Y Moth (Autographa gamma) [Explored!]

            The Silver Y Moth (Autographa gamma) has a characteristic metallic, silver Y-shaped mark on each wing. The background colour is variable from pale marble through to quite dark brown, in rare examples almost black. Even the size is quite variable, its forewing length varying from 13 to 21 mm.

The size and colour of the Silver Y Moth depend to some degree on where it lived as a larva. This migrant species is generally unable to survive in the UK over winter. It migrates to the UK from North Africa and southern Europe each spring. The Silver Y is a strong flyer, regularly recorded in Iceland and Greenland as well as Scandinavia. Early summer migrants to the UK are mostly of the pale form. Those moths which arrive in the UK in spring might remain here to breed and in some years can produce two generations of Silver Y Moths. The moths born in cooler climates, such as in the UK, tend to be darker in colour. In the autumn Silver Y Moths born in the UK head south to find warmer weather in the countries where their parents or grandparents originated. Every few years a mass movement of Silver Y Moths occurs with up to a quarter of a billion arriving in the UK. These moths can quadruple in number over the summer to create a southerly autumnal migration of about a billion moths.

Because of their migration patterns, Silver Y Moths will always be more common in the southern half of Britain, and especially in coastal areas, but they can be found right across the country. Their larval food plants include bedstraw, clover, nettle, peas and beans, and so they can be regarded as an agricultural pest. Their search for nectar takes them into a wide range of habitats including gardens and they can be seen in the UK from May to September when they begin their reverse migration.

Taken in: UK / England / Chelmsford District / Woodham Ferrers (show map)

Taken on: September 7, 2019

Tags:

Autographa gamma

Silver Y Moth

Insect

Invertebrate

RHS

RHS Hyde Hall

Rettendon

Essex

2019

September

Autumn « less

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Camera: Canon EOS 200D, f/8.0, 1/160 sec, 100mm, ISO 200 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS 200D
Aperture:	f/8.0
Exposure Time:	0.006 sec (1/160)
Focal Length:	100mm
ISO:	200
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	On, Fired
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Elements 10.0 Windows
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