Xanthia togata
Caterpillars munch on:
Older caterpillars eat docks and other plants.
Adults sip nectar from a range of flowers, including English Ivy, as well as feeding on overripe blackberries.
Only the eggs of this moth survive through the winter. They are laid in the autumn, in short rows on twigs of the food plant (willows and poplars). Caterpillars hatch out in the following spring.
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There is even more about this species on the main Butterfly Conservation website
The Pink-barred Sallow is a member of the Noctuid family of moths. There are 21,000 species in this family across the world!
All members of this family have a clever defence against bats – when they hear a bat coming, they start diving and cartwheeling, veering out of the way just as the bat swoops.
