Silver Y

Name: Silver Y

Scientific name: Autographa gamma

Category: Minibeasts

Nature Stars: 50

What are nature stars?

About: A medium-sized moth, about 2cm long. A very common moth, the Silver Y may be seen on warm days at any time during the year, although it is most common during the late summer. The caterpillars feed on a wide variety of plants, including stinging nettles, clover and cabbages. At times, a very common moth, especially in flowery grasslands, sand dunes and gardens. Can often be seen flying during the daytime, feeding on nectar from plants such as buddleia and lavendar.

How to identify: When at rest, the Silver Y holds its wings back along the body in a tent-like shape. The wings are patterned with dark grey, silver and browning, with a tuft of dense hairs above the head and the characteristic silver y-shaped mark on the wings.

Where: Widespread

Natural Superpowers

• Predator: 10
• Agility: 70
• Rarity: 30
• Cute factor: 40
• Traveller: 90

Fantastic fact: The Silver Y is a common migrant from the continent, sometimes arriving in vast numbers, often at the same time as massive immigrations of Marmalade Fly and 7-spot Ladybird with smaller numbers of Clouded Yellow and Hummingbird Hawk-moth.

Photograph credit: Bruce Shortland