Speckled yellow
Unlike most moths, this species flies readily in bright sunshine, darting low over woodland clearings by day rather than waiting for dusk.
| Where | Open woodland and scrubby banks |
|---|---|
| Size | 23 to 28 mm wingspan |
| When | April to June |
The Speckled yellow is a distinctive day flying moth with bright yellow wings scattered across with dark brown blotches, a pattern that makes it hard to confuse with any other species sharing its habitat.
Caterpillars feed almost exclusively on wood sage, and the moth overwinters as a pupa in the soil before adults emerge in spring to fly low and fast over sunny woodland edges and scrubby banks.
Traits
Habitat
Woodland
Colour
Yellow, Brown
Active
Day
To people
Flies by day in sunshine; harmless to people.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
A much smaller day flying moth at about 14 to 19 mm wingspan, straw yellow with grey brown bars rather than the bold dark blotches spread across the Speckled yellow's wings.
Questions
Is the Speckled yellow dangerous to people?
Flies by day in sunshine; harmless to people.
When can you see the Speckled yellow?
The Speckled yellow can be seen from April to June, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by Vítězslav Maňák (SLU), CC BY‑SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons Licence
The plate on this page is shared under the same licence as its source, CC BY-SA.
Report a mistake in this entry
Butterflies and moths›Geometer moths›Pseudopanthera
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.