The Delicate

Mythimna vitellina · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae

Also called: Delicate

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.
The Delicate
Photo: Drepanostoma, CC BY

The Delicate has a wingspan of about 36 to 43 mm and forewings 12 to 14 mm long, with pale yellow-ochre wings flushed with rufous and faint markings. Adults fly in August and October in the British Isles, though they may appear earlier or at different times elsewhere.

Source: Wikipedia

How to recognize it

Forewings are pale yellow-ochre, often strongly flushed with rufous; veins are finely rufous and the lines are fine and somewhat angled. Stigmata are indistinct, the orbicular spot is slight or missing, and the reniform spot is rufous with a dark spot at its lower end; hindwings are ochreous-white, greyer in females, with often fuscous veins.

Source: Wikipedia

Size

Wingspan ranges from 36 to 43 mm. Forewing length is between 12 and 14 mm.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it lives

Less common further north in Europe.

Source: Wikipedia

What it eats

Larvae feed on a variety of grasses.

Source: Wikipedia

Life cycle

Adults are recorded on the wing in August and October, sometimes earlier. The flight season noted refers to the British Isles and may differ elsewhere.

Source: Wikipedia

When you see it

Flight season is August and October, with occasional earlier appearances. Seasonal timing is specific to the British Isles and can vary in other regions.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it comes from

Also occurs in North Africa, the Near East, the Middle East, Central Asia and western China.

Source: Wikipedia

Questions people ask

When can I see adult Delicate moths?

In the British Isles they are usually seen in August and October, though they may appear earlier or at different times elsewhere.

Source: Wikipedia

Same family (Noctuidae)

Ipsilon Dart MothIpsilon Dart MothAgrotis ipsilonDamages trees, gardens or cropsFall Armyworm MothFall Armyworm MothSpodoptera frugiperdaDamages trees, gardens or cropsArmy Cutworm MothArmy Cutworm MothEuxoa auxiliarisDamages trees, gardens or cropsLarge Yellow UnderwingLarge Yellow UnderwingNoctua pronubaDamages trees, gardens or cropsSilver ΥSilver ΥAutographa gammaAmerican DaggerAmerican DaggerAcronicta americanaCan irritate skin

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mythimna_vitellina

Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia

Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.

How this page works

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