Marbled Minor

Marbled Minor
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Noctuidae
Genus:	Oligia
Species:	O. strigilis
Binomial name
Oligia strigilis (Linnaeus, 1758)

The Marbled Minor (Oligia strigilis) is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is distributed throughout Europe.

This is a rather small species (wingspan 24-29 mm), the forewings usually being dark brown with a pale subterminal band, the hindwings pale brown. Melanic forms are often encountered, especially in industrial areas. This species is almost identical to its relatives the Rufous Minor (O. versicolor) and the Tawny Marbled Minor (O. latruncula) and identification generally requires dissection to study the genitalia. This species averages slightly larger than its two cousins but the dimensions of all three species overlap. It flies at night from May to July ^[1] and is attracted to light and sugar.

The larva is purplish-brown with yellow stripes and feeds internally in various grasses including Agropyron, Dactylis, Elytrigia and Poa. This species overwinters as a larva.

1. ^ The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range.

References

• Chinery, Michael Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe 1986 (Reprinted 1991)
• Skinner, Bernard Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles 1984