72.075 BF2455a

Oak Yellow Underwing Catocala nymphagoga

(Esper, 1787)

Wingspan 35-43 mm.

A rare, but increasingly frequent, migrant species. As of 2020 there have been seven records. Two were within three days of each other in July 1982, one at Tregaron, mid-Wales, and the other in the New Forest, Hampshire. More recently the third British record was trapped in the gardens of Buckingham Palace during the period 3-4 September 2002. Subsequently there have been a further four records, from Devon (2005), Surrey (2007), E.Sussex (2014) and Cornwall (2018).

The species occurs in southern Europe, and flies from June to August. Apparently the species is becoming a more regular migrant in parts of continental Europe.

The larvae feed in the spring on oak (Quercus).