Hydraecia

Members of Hydraecia can be distinguished from related noctuine genera by a combination of wing pattern and genitalia characters. The genus is placed in the tribe Apameini, and species-level identification often requires examination of male genitalia structures. Hydraecia micacea is characterized by its rosy-brown forewing coloration with distinct reniform and orbicular stigmata.

Wetlands and woodland edges. Hydraecia micacea has been collected from woodland using light traps.

Northern hemisphere, with records from Europe (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, UK), Asia (China, Himalayas, Mongolia), and North America (Vermont, USA; introduced to North America in the early 1900s).

Adults active from mid-July until October; one generation per year.

Larvae feed on approximately 50 different plant species, acting as stem borers in herbaceous plants.

• potatoes - pestdamaging pest
• cereals - pestdamaging pest
• hops - pestdamaging pest
• weeds - herbivorelarval host
• Petasites - herbivorelarval host; H. petasitis specific

univoltine (one generation per year). Larvae are stem borers. Flying period approximately from mid-July until October.

Larvae bore into stems of host plants. Adults attracted to light traps.

Herbivore; some species are agricultural pests.

Several species are damaging agricultural pests, particularly to potatoes, cereals, and hops. Hydraecia micacea is classed as vulnerable in the UK using IUCN criteria.

• ApameaBoth in tribe Apameini; distinguished by wing pattern details and male genitalia structure
• XylenaSimilar noctuine moths with autumn flight periods; Hydraecia distinguished by larval stem-boring habit and associated wetland habitat preference

• BugGuide
• Wikipedia
• GBIF taxonomy match
• iNaturalist taxon
• NCBI Taxonomy
• Catalogue of Life
• The genome sequence of the rosy rustic, Hydraecia micacea (Esper, 1789).