Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Crambidae Scientific name Pyrausta aurata | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Pyrausta Rank Species | |
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Similar Pyrausta, Pyrausta purpuralis, Pyrausta despicata, Anania hortulata, Anania | ||
Mint moth a frequently overlooked jewel of the herb garden
The mint moth (Pyrausta aurata) is a small moth from the family Crambidae. In the UK, it has two broods; in May/June, and July/August. It flies both at day and at night.
Contents
The purplish-brown wings have a span from 10 to 15 millimetres, and a single golden yellow spot on each overwing and underwing. The moth is very similar to the related Pyrausta purpuralis, a slightly larger moth with a larger number of yellow spots.
As the name suggests, the mint moth often uses mint as a food plant, though it can also be found on other species such as marjoram. In north-west Europe it can be seen from April until the end of September and is capable of having two generations in each season.
Mint moth in the garden
References
Mint moth Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA