[287] Pyrausta aurata, Mint Moth

[287] Pyrausta aurata, Mint Moth

Introduction

Pyrausta aurata, the Mint Moth, is an attractive, common and widespread micro moth that could easily be mistaken for a small butterfly. It is also known as the Small Purple and Gold (Moth.)

Taxonomy

Kingdom – Animals

Phylum – Arthropods

Class – Insects

Order – Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)

Family – Crambidae

Genus – Pyrausta

Scientific Name – Purausta aurata

Name

The name Mint Moth comes from its preferred food source.

Pyrausta comes from pirausta, the Italian name for this moth. My guess is that it comes from the Latin ‘pyra usta’ meaning ‘burnt pyre’ from its colour. Similarly, the Latin aurata means golden.

Description

The Mint Moth is not like the other members of the Crambidae family that we saw in [011] Grass Moths. It is larger and more colourful and rests with its wings displayed, so it could easily be mistaken for a butterfly. It is a colourful purple brown with light yellow markings. It can be found in the day and also flies in the night.

In the UK it usually has two broods each year, in May/June and July/August. The caterpillar has several colour variations with a dark line along its back.

Habitat

Pyrausta aurata is widespread in Europe, much of Asia and north Africa.

It can feed on species of mint (Mentha species) but also likes marjoram, catmint (Nepeta cataria) and some other species.

Other Notes

Here is one sharing a plant with a hover fly, Eristalis species.

Pictures come from my garden where we had catmint. There were visited for two or three years but we have moved elsewhere now.

See also

The closely related Pyrausta purpuralis is very similar in appearance.