Large yellow underwing

{{short description|Species of Eurasian moth}} {{Speciesbox | image = Moth Large Yellow Underwing - Noctua pronuba (28814950448).png | taxon = Noctua pronuba | authority = (Linnaeus, 1758) | synonyms = *''Phalaena (Noctua) pronuba'' Linnaeus, 1758 *''Noctua connuba'' Hübner, [1822] *''Triphaena innuba'' Treitschke, 1825 *''Triphaena pronuba'' var. ''hoegei'' Herrich-Schäffer, 1861 *''Agrotis pronuba'' var. ''nigra'' Krausse, 1912 *''Rhyacia pronuba'' f. ''decolorata'' Turati, 1923 }} thumb|Caterpillar The '''large yellow underwing''' (''Noctua pronuba'') is a moth, the type species for the family Noctuidae. It is an abundant species throughout the Palearctic realm, one of the most common and most familiar moths of the region. In some years the species is highly migratory with large numbers appearing suddenly in marginal parts of the range.

It is present in Europe, North Africa, Canary Islands, Middle East, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, northwest India, Russia, Novosibirsk Oblast, Caucasus, Transcaucasia and Central Asia. It was introduced into North America at Nova Scotia. Since then it has increased its range considerably and has been recorded for Maine since 1985, and then spread throughout the northeast from Vermont and Massachusetts (1989) to New Hampshire (1990), New York, Maryland (1992), and Connecticut (1993). It was first recorded in Pennsylvania in 1998, North Carolina (1997) and west to Colorado (1999), Wyoming (2000), Washington (2000), California (2001), British Columbia (2002) and Alaska (2005).<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Southeast District Update|publisher=University of Alaska Fairbanks|url=https://www.uaf.edu/files/ces/newsletters/juneau/2006/0610juneauupdate.pdf|title=Invasive Moth Spreads throughout Southeast Alaska|author=David Lentz, Jr.|date=2006|accessdate=11 July 2016|page=6|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820013746/https://www.uaf.edu/files/ces/newsletters/juneau/2006/0610juneauupdate.pdf|archive-date=20 August 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

This is a quite large and heavy moth with a wingspan of {{Convert|50-60|mm|abbr=on}}. The forewings are quite variable from light brown to almost black. The darker individuals often have a pale streak along the costa. The hindwings are bright orange-yellow with a black sub-terminal band. As with other ''Noctua'' species (and numerous other insects), this contrast of bland-on-land and bright-in-flight is used to confuse potential predators. This species flies at night from July to September {{ref|flight_season}} and is attracted to light, sometimes in huge numbers. It will also visit flowers such as ''Buddleia'', ragwort, and red valerian.

The larva is green or brown with two rows of black dashes along the back. This is one of the notorious "cutworms", causing fatal damage at the base of virtually any herbaceous plant (some examples listed below), sometimes severing it completely. This ubiquitous species is considered as a garden pest. The species overwinters as a larva and feeds on mild days throughout the winter.

==Description in Meyrick== A. pronuba, L. 48-56 mm. Antennae in male ciliated. Forewings ochreous-brown to dark fuscous, sometimes reddish tinged, sometimes partly irrorated with grey-whitish, especially towards costa anteriorly; lines often paler, dark-edged, sometimes faint, subterminal preceded on costa by a blackish mark orbicular and reniform more or less pale-edged, outlined with darker, reniform partly marked with dark grey. Hindwings ochreous-orange; a blackish terminal band. Larva pale green to dull brown; dorsal line pale; subdorsal series of blackish longitudinal marks on 5-12; a pale line beneath these; subspiracular pale; head light brown, dark-marked.<ref>Meyrick, E., 1895 ''A Handbook of British Lepidoptera'' MacMillan, London [https://archive.org/details/handbookofbritis00meyr/page/n7 pdf] {{PD-notice}}</ref> See ''Noctua orbona'', the lunar yellow underwing and ''Noctua comes'', lesser yellow underwing for differences between these species and ''pronuba.'' #{{Note|flight_season}}''The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range.''

==Recorded food plants== {{div col|colwidth=12em}} *''Allium'' *''Beta'' – beet *''Brassica'' *''Calendula'' – marigold *''Chrysanthemum'' *''Dahlia'' *''Daucus'' – carrot *''Dianthus'' – carnation *''Fragaria'' – strawberry *''Freesia'' *''Gladiolus'' *''Hieracium'' – hawkweed *''Lactuca'' – lettuce *''Lycopersicon'' – tomato *''Plantago'' – plantain *''Poaceae'' – grasses *''Primula'' *Rhubarb *''Solanum'' – nightshades (including potato, pepper, and tomato plants) *Spinach *''Taraxacum'' – dandelion *''Viola'' – sweet violet *''Vitis'' – grape {{div col end}} See Robinson, G.S. et al.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/research/projects/hostplants/ |title= Robinson, G.S., P.R. Ackery, I.J. Kitching, G.W. Beccaloni & L.M. Hernández (2010). HOSTS – A Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants. Natural History Museum, London.|date= 2023|doi= 10.5519/havt50xw|last1= Robinson|first1= Gaden S.|last2= Ackery|first2= Phillip R.|last3= Kitching|first3= Ian|last4= Beccaloni|first4= George W.|last5= Hernández|first5= Luis M.|publisher= Natural History Museum}}</ref>

<gallery> Large Yellow Underwing moth.jpg|On forest floor of Gatineau Park, Quebec Noctua pronuba2.jpg|Mounted adult specimen Noctua pronuba caterpillar top - Keila.jpg|Caterpillar Noctua pronuba caterpillar defensive - Keila.jpg|Caterpillar in defensive posture </gallery>

==References== {{Reflist}} *Chinery, Michael (1986). ''Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe.'' *Skinner, Bernard (1984). ''Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles.''

==External links== {{commons category|Noctua pronuba}} *[https://lepiforum.org/wiki/page/Noctua_Pronuba Lepiforum] *[http://www.nic.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/noctuoidea/noctuidae/noctuinae/noctua#pronuba1 ''Noctua pronuba''] at funet.fi

Category:Noctua (moth) Category:Moths described in 1758 Category:Moths of Africa Category:Moths of Europe Category:Moths of Iceland Category:Moths of the Middle East Category:Moths of North America Category:Moths of Asia Category:Animal taxa named by Carl Linnaeus