Grey Dagger Moth Caterpillar

The Grey Dagger Moth is common throughout England and is a ‘noctuid’ moth which means it is active at night. It can be found in hedgerows, parks, gardens, woodlands, heathland and grassland between June to August, but sometimes a second generation of this moth can be seen in September or October.
The Grey Dagger Moth’s forewings can either be a grey-white or a dark grey colour and this moth gets its name because of its distinctive black dagger-shaped markings on its forewings. The hindwings of the female are usually dark grey, whereas the hindwings of the male are a lighter grey.
The female Grey Dagger Moth lays her eggs on a variety of trees such as the blackthorn, hawthorn, apple, birch, elm and rowan tree. Around late July to early October a bluish black coloured caterpillar with a distinctive hump in its back hatches out of each egg. It also has a broad yellow stripe running along its back and red spots along its sides. The underside is a whitish colour. The caterpillar forms a cocoon by spinning a silk case around itself and hides under loose bark or rotten wood. It hibernates over winter in the cocoon and then transforms itself into a beautiful Grey Dagger Moth.