Forewing in male pale grey or ochreous grey, in female dark grey, generally more or less irrorated with dark grey; orbicular and reniform stigmata with pale outlines, filled up with grey, the lower half of reniform dark grey; outer line marked by black dots on veins, the inner mostly obsolete; submarginal line ochreous or rufous, sometimes preceded by a dark shade.
Hindwing in male whitish, becoming grey towards termen, and blackish immediately before the pale fringe, in female wholly grey; - pallida Stph. is a whitish form with hardly any dusting; - in rosea Tutt the ground colour is flesh coloured; - rufescens Cockll is redbrown; - the Japanese form ella Btlr. differs only in being more strongly marked, sometimes with a redbrown flush.
Hindwing in male whitish, becoming grey towards termen, and blackish immediately before the pale fringe, in female wholly grey; - pallida Stph. is a whitish form with hardly any dusting; - in rosea Tutt the ground colour is flesh coloured; - rufescens Cockll is redbrown; - the Japanese form ella Btlr. differs only in being more strongly marked, sometimes with a redbrown flush.
Habitat
- Deciduous forests
- Glades
- Mixed forests
- Scrub
- Steppes
Similar species
35-40 mm
Regional distr. - legend
- Local names
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Language Vernacular name 
ČeskyJarnice hladká 
DanskGrå forårsugle 
DeutschSpitzflügel-Kätzcheneule DeutschWiesenbuschmoor-Frühlingseule 
EnglishPowdered Quaker 
FrançaisOrthosie gracile 
LietuviųGelsvasis ankstyvasis pelėdgalvi 
MagyarCsinos barkabagoly 
NederlandsSierlijke voorjaarsuil 
NorskPunktseljefly 
PolskiPiętnówka smuklica 
SlovenčinaMora čerkáčová 
SuomeksiKalvasraitayökkönen 
SvenskaGrått sälgfly 
РусскийСовка ранняя темно-серая
- Primary hostplants
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Family Latin name Vernacular name Asteraceae Achillea Yarrow Asteraceae Artemisia vulgaris Common Mugwort Asteraceae Taraxacum officinale Common Dandelion Fabaceae Trifolium Clover Geraniaceae Geranium Crane's-bill Grossulariaceae Ribes nigrum Black Currant Rosaceae Malus domestica Apple tree Rosaceae Prunus padus Bird Cherry Rosaceae Rosa canina Dog Rose Rosaceae Rubus idaeus Red raspberry Rosaceae Rubus plicatus Bramble Salicaceae Populus tremula Common Aspen Salicaceae Salix Willow
- Synonyms and other combinations
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Latin name Author Noctua gracilis Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775
- Subspecies
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Species Author Orthosia (Cororthosia) gracilis gracilis (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) Orthosia (Cororthosia) gracilis pallidior (Staudinger, 1888)
- Links
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Language Website Authors Lepidoptera and their ecology Wolfgang Wagner Lepiforum e. V. Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa Paolo Mazzei Moths and butterflies of Sweden Magnus Unger Svenska fjärilar Bert Gustafsson UK Moths Ian Kimber
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