Square-spot Rustic
Xestia xanthographa
The 'square-spot' in its name refers to the prominent, pale, square-shaped markings on its forewings which help disrupt its silhouette against bark and leaf litter.
- Scientific name
- Xestia xanthographa
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Noctuidae › Xestia
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Grasslands, heathlands, open woodlands, gardens, and agricultural edges.
- Diet
- Adults drink nectar from heather, ragwort, and buddleia, as well as sap and aphid honeydew; larvae feed on various grasses and low herbaceous plants.
- Range
- Europe, North Africa, Western Asia, North America
- Size
- Wingspan of 30 to 40 mm
- Lifespan
- 1 year (with adults living only 2 to 4 weeks)
- Active
- nocturnal
- Threats
- Light pollution disrupting nocturnal mating and feeding, habitat loss due to intensive agriculture, and widespread pesticide use.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. If one enters your home, gently trap it under a glass with a piece of paper and release it outside near vegetation. They do not bite, sting, or carry allergens, though handling them may rub off their protective wing scales.
The square-spot rustic ( Xestia xanthographa ) is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in Africa, Europe, northern Asia (excluding China) and North America.
Photo: Annika Lindqvist, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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