Euxoa cursoria
Introduction '''''Euxoa cursoria''''', the '''coast dart''', is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in northern and central Europe as well as the coastal regions of the British Isles, central Siberia, Mongolia, Tibet and Afghanistan. The subspecies ''Euxoa cursoria wirima'' is found in Canada.
Technical description and variation ''Euxoa cursoria'' set specimenForewing sandy ochreous, often much suffused and speckled with brownish grey; claviform stigma absent, or with dark outline only; orbicular and reniform with dark centres and pale rings, the lower lobe of reniform always deeper; sometimes the cell, the claviform, and a basal streak before it are dark olive brown; hindwing dull greyish ochreous with fuscous termen and pale cilia; a variable insect ab. ''obscura'' Stgr. has the forewings almost wholly red-brown, the stigmata with white rings, and occurs on the shores of the Baltic; -ab. ''currens'' Stgr. has both wings dark; — while ab. ''vaga'' Stgr. is uniform brownish grey; - lastly, ab. sagittata Stgr. is a more variegated form, with red-brown suffusion and little dusting, and the costal streak, the upper stigmata, and the postmedian area whitish; the three last are Central Asian; specimens from Asia Minor have the hindwings wholly white. ''Euxoa cursoria''  is difficult to certainly distinguish from its congeners. See Townsend et al. *''Euxoa obelisca'' (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) *''Euxoa tritici'' (Linnaeus, 1761) *''Euxoa nigricans'' (Linnaeus, 1761) Figs 7, 7a, 7b, 7c larva after last moult
Biology This moth flies from July to September depending on the location.Larva pale ochreous tinged with greenish; the lines paler, edgedwith grey-green; the head pale ochreous.The larvae feed on various sandhill plants, including ''Honckenya peploides'' and ''Elytrigia juncea'', as well as ''Elymus arenarius'', ''Rumex'', ''Atriplex littoralis'', ''Minuartia pebloides'', ''Cakile maritima'', ''Lathyrus maritimus'' and ''Asparagus''..
Subspecies *''Euxoa cursoria cursoria''*''Euxoa cursoria wirima'' Hardwick, 1965 (Canada)
References
External links * Lepiforum* Funet Taxonomy* Fauna Europaea* UKmoths