Straw dot
Its forewings turn a deeper straw yellow toward the tip and carry a dark stigma marked with two tiny black dots, a pattern shared by few other moths.
| Where | Damp meadows and woodland |
|---|---|
| Size | 18 to 22 mm wingspan |
| When | May to September |
The straw dot is a small moth with straw yellow forewings that darken slightly toward the tip, crossed by faint brownish lines and marked with a dark stigma bearing two small black dots.
Caterpillars feed on grasses such as false brome and purple moor grass, and the species produces two generations that fly from late spring through early autumn in damp meadows and woodland.
Traits
Habitat
Wetland
Colour
Brown, Orange, Yellow
Active
Night
To people
Harmless to people.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
The garden pebble is larger at 25 to 28 mm with yellowish white forewings and brown veining, quite different from the straw dot's smaller size and straw yellow ground colour.
Questions
Is the Straw dot dangerous to people?
Harmless to people.
When can you see the Straw dot?
The Straw dot can be seen from May to September, at night.
Plate retouched from a photo by Donald Hobern from Copenhagen, Denmark, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Erebid moths›Rivula
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.