Mint moth, Pyraustra aurata
Mint moth, Pyraustra aurata
This puplish brown day-flying moth looks very similar to Pyrausta purpuralis but the way to tell them apart is by looking at the markings on their wings. The mint moth, Pyraustra aurata has one yellow blotch on its forewings whereas Pyrausta purpuralis has 3 blotches in a line, which are sometimes connected to form a yellow band. The larva of the mint moth feeds on spearmint, apple mint, catmint and other related species. It is patchily distributed in England, Wales and Southern Scotland and has 2 generations from April to June and from July to September.
