Devon Wildlife Trust The Silver Y is a medium-sized moth that can be seen on warm days throughout the year, although it is most common during the late summer. At times, this migrant may be a very common visitor, especially in flowery grasslands, sand dunes and gardens. It can often be seen flying during the daytime, feeding on nectar from plants, such as Buddleia and Lavender, but also flies at night. The caterpillars feed on a wide variety of plants, including Stinging nettles, clover and cabbages. It breeds here, but the early stages cannot survive our winter.
How to identify
When at rest, the Silver Y holds its wings back along its body in a tent-like shape. The wings are patterned with dark grey, silver and brown, and display a characteristic, silver, Y-shaped mark on the forewings.
https://www.devonwildlifetrust.org/wildlife-explorer/invertebrates/moths/silver-y
UK Moths A well-known immigrant species, this moth can turn up in thousands under the right conditions, especially at coastal migration watch-points. It can occur anywhere in Britain, and in autumn, the breeding population from spring migrants is swelled by further migration.
The adults can be found from spring through till late autumn, and can be seen by day as well as at night, when they regularly visit light.
The larvae feed on a wide range of low plants.
https://www.ukmoths.org.uk/species/autographa-gamma/
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Autographa.gamma.6902.jpg
Devonshire Association Entomology Section The Entomology Section promotes the study and recording of insects and also spiders in the county.
Meetings, talks, exhibitions, publications and field trips are arranged annually across the county of Devon and are suitable for beginners and experienced alike. Field trips are usually held in association with other specialist groups with whom we maintain close links. We also meet with other sections to demonstrate, and learn, about the inter-relationships with other disciplines.
With at least ten specialists in different Orders within the insect class we cater for a wide range of interests. Some of our Recorders are national experts in their field and hence we are the major collective source of entomological expertise in the county.
https://devonassoc.org.uk/organisation/sections/entomology-section/
Devon Biodiversity Record Centre Submit your sightings of Silver Y moths and other species in Devon
https://www.dbrc.org.uk/wildlife-sightings/
Buglife is the only organisation in Europe devoted to the conservation of all invertebrates. We’re actively working to save Britain’s rarest little animals, everything from bees to beetles, worms to woodlice and jumping spiders to jellyfish.
National Biodiversity Network The NBN Atlas is a collaborative project that aggregates biodiversity data from multiple sources and makes it available and usable online. It is the UK’s largest collection of freely available biodiversity data.
https://species.nbnatlas.org/species/NBNSYS0000006546
Wikipedia The silver Y (Autographa gamma) is a migratory moth of the family Noctuidae which is named for the silvery Y-shaped mark on each of its forewings.
The species is widespread across Europe and over almost all the Palearctic including North Africa. It is resident in the south of its range and adults fly almost throughout the year. In spring variable numbers migrate north reaching as far as Iceland, Greenland, and Finland with huge invasions taking place in some years. A second wave of migrants arrives in the summer. In central Europe and the British Isles adults are present in significant numbers from May onwards with numbers dwindling in late autumn as they are killed off by frosts. Some individuals fly south again to winter around the Mediterranean and Black seas.
It occurs in a wide variety of habitats, particularly open areas. It regularly visits gardens to take nectar from the flowers.
