Sideridis turbida

Sideridis turbida, the white colon, is a moth of the family Noctuidae, subfamily Hadeninae. It is found throughout continental Europe, the British Isles and southern Scandinavia.^[1][2]

White colon
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Superfamily:	Noctuoidea
Family:	Noctuidae
Genus:	Sideridis
Species:	S. turbida
Binomial name
Sideridis turbida (Esper, 1790)
Synonyms
Phalaena (Noctua) turbida Esper, 1790 Phalaena (Noctua) turbida Esper, [1803] Noctua albicolon Hübner, [1813] Trichoclea boursini Agenjo, 1941 Sideridis albicolon (Hübner, 1813)

Technical description and variation

For a key to the terms used, see Glossary of entomology terms.

The wingspan is 36–44 mm.^[2][3] Forewing drab grey, suffused brown, except along costa and inner margin, and in an oblique pale fascia-form submarginal area;the pale submarginal fascia externally throw's off pale teeth; a long black streak from base below cell: median vein white, with only a small white spot at end of cell and a minute black point above it: veins whitish with black terminal streaks in the intervals:hindwing dark greyish, fuscous. - ab. suffusa Tutt is a melanic brown form common in Britain, occurring, but rarely, in the Alps; — ochracea Tutt is a brownish ochreous form, also rare, apparently, on the continent.^[4]

Figs 1 larva about halfgrown 1a larva after last moult

Biology

The moth flies from May to July, with a second brood in August–September in southern parts of its range.

Larva reddish brown, with scattered black clots: dorsal and subdorsal lines black and fine; venter paler;thoracic plate black with 3 white lines; head brown. The larvae feed on various plants growing in sandy places, including dandelion and plantain.^[3][5][6]

The English vernacular name refers to the only distinctive marking on the moth, a pair of white dots outward of the center of the forewing resembling a colon or joined into a > shape.