Bug FAQAngle Shades
Phlogophora meticulosa · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
The angle shades moth has a 45 to 52 mm wingspan, buff-brown forewings with a sharp point and a bold V-shaped pink-green mark. It lives in gardens, hedgerows and woodland across Europe, the Azores, parts of North Africa and western Asia, migrates, and the adults fly from May to October with two or more generations per year.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Forewings are sharply pointed at the tip. Base colour is buffish, turning brown toward the edge, with a bold V-shaped pink-green marking.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 45 to 52 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Often found in gardens, hedgerows and woodland.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Feeds on a wide variety of plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Overwinters as a larva and pupates in spring.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from May through October in temperate areas. There are usually two or more generations each year.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Distributed throughout Europe to the Urals, also in the Azores, Algeria, Asia Minor, Armenia and Syria. It is a migratory species.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
The small angle shades (Euplexia lucipara) is a similar species.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
What does the angle shades moth look like?
It has a 45 to 52 mm wingspan, sharply pointed forewings with a buff-brown base colour and a distinctive V-shaped pink-green mark.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find angle shades moths?
They are common in gardens, hedgerows and woodland across Europe, the Azores, parts of North Africa and western Asia, and they migrate seasonally.
Source: Wikipedia
When are adult angle shades active?
Adults fly from May to October and usually have two or more generations each year.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Noctuidae)
Ipsilon Dart MothAgrotis ipsilonDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Armyworm MothSpodoptera frugiperdaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Army Cutworm MothEuxoa auxiliarisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Large Yellow UnderwingNoctua pronubaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Silver ΥAutographa gamma
American DaggerAcronicta americanaCan irritate skinSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angle_shades
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.