Agrotis cinerea
Introduction '''''Agrotis cinerea''''', the '''light feathered rustic''', is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775.It is found in southern and central Europe, northern Turkey, the Caucasus, western Turkmenia and Central Asia.John Curtis's ''British Entomology'' Volume 5The wingspan is 33–40 mm. Forewing ashy grey, with darker irroration (sprinkling): claviform and orbicular stigmata obsolete: reniform a small dark lunule; a distinct diffuse dark median shade: hindwing whitish, in the female grey-tinged. — in the ab. ''alpigena'' Tur. the wings are paler and the markings indistinct, while in ab. ''livonica'' Teich they are very much darker. — ab. ''fusca'' Bsd., is larger than the typical form, and black brown; — subsp. ''tephrina'' Stgr. is smaller, with forewing narrower, and the markings much clearer; this form is confined to the south of England. Tutt, writing in 1892, Brit. Noct. 11, p. 76, evidently with only British specimens before him, did not notice that the British race was per se distinct from continental forms, so that the aberrations which he there put forward must be considered as applying solely to the British race: — these are ab. ''pallida'' Tutt, pale grey without median shade and all males; — ab. ''obscura'' Tutt nec Hbn. a unicolorous dull brown form generally (but not always) confined to females; and ab. ''virgata'' Tutt pale grey with a distinct reddish median shade, and all males.Adults are on wing from May to June depending on the location and are active during both day and night and can be found near flowers, such as ''Berberis vulgaris''Figs  5, 5a larva after last moultThe yellowish-white egg has an indistinctly ribbed surface. Adult caterpillars are mostly earth-grey and thus well adapted to their surroundings. They have some indistinct, dark lines and stripes on the dorsum and sides. Black point warts stand out more intensely. The reddish-brown pupa is characterized by a comb-like cremaster with two short thorns.The larvae feed on the roots and leaves of low-growing herbaceous plants and grasses, including ''Thymus praecox'', ''Stellaria media'', ''Medicago sativa'', ''Rumex'' and ''Taraxacum''..
Similar species *''Agrotis simplonia''*''Euxoa birivia''*''Euxoa decora''*''Rhyacia helvetina''*''Epipsilia grisescens''*''Xestia ashworthii'' ssp. ''candelarum''
References
Further reading *South R. (1907) ''The Moths of the British Isles'', (First Series), Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd., London & NY: 359 pp. online Britain and Ireland
External links * Light Feathered Rustic at ''UKMoths''** ''Lepiforum e.V.''