Noctuidae

73.3001 Oblique Wainscot Mythimna riparia (Rambur, [1829])

Immigrant

Similar species: Common Wainscot Mythimna pallens lacks the pale oblique marking in the apex of the forewing. There is banding across the front of the thorax similar to that of Southern Wainscot Mythimna straminea, but this species also lacks the oblique marking in the apex of the forewing. The shade of the forewing can be pale buff (as in the first British specimen) to dark brown.

Forewing: 13.5 to 15.5mm

Habitats: The moth inhabits coastal sandy grassland and wetlands including river valleys. It is found in southern Europe and is distributed from the Atlantic coast of France, south along the Mediterranean coasts from Morroco to Turkey, Israel, Syria, stretching across Russia.

Habits: The first record of this species in Britain and Ireland was at light on 1st November 2024, in a garden at Rodborough, Stroud, Gloucestershire.

Foodplant: The larva feeds on grasses, vetches and clovers.