Flame
At rest this moth wraps its wings tightly around its body, so it looks like a small broken twig rather than an insect.
| Where | Farmland, hedgerows and woodland edges |
|---|---|
| Size | 27 to 32 mm wingspan |
| When | May to August |
The Flame has creamy buff forewings streaked with black along the leading edge, sometimes tinged with red, and pale whitish hindwings. At rest it wraps its wings tightly around its body, closely mimicking a snapped twig.
It flies from May to August across farmland, hedgerows and woodland edges, sometimes with a second generation in warmer years. Caterpillars feed at night on low plants such as dock and bedstraw.
Traits
Habitat
Farmland
Colour
Brown
Active
Night
To people
Attracted to light; harmless to people.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Larger at about 34 to 42 mm wingspan and greyish brown rather than creamy buff, with a dark shoulder-knot streak near the wing base that the Flame lacks.
Questions
Is the Flame dangerous to people?
Attracted to light; harmless to people.
When can you see the Flame?
The Flame can be seen from May to August, at night.
Plate retouched from a photo by Hsu Hong Lin from 南投縣集集鎮, 中華民國, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Owlet moths›Axylia
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.