Lesser yellow underwing

Grasslands and Prairies, Forests and Woodlands, Agricultural and Cultivated Areas

Forests and Woodlands, Grasslands and Prairies, Agricultural and Cultivated Areas, Urban and Suburban Areas

Sweet substances or artificial lights could attract adult lesser yellow underwing, as they are typically drawn to sources of light and food during nighttime.

The eggs of lesser yellow underwing are typically found on the underside of leaves of their host plants. As caterpillars, they dwell on the foliage, feeding and developing, often on herbaceous plants or low shrubs. Pupation occurs in the soil or just beneath leaf litter, where the larvae dig in to metamorphose. Adults are nocturnal and can be encountered in areas with dense vegetation, meadows, or gardens, where they are attracted to lights or sources of nectar. To search for these stages, one would examine host plant leaves for eggs, inspect plants for feeding caterpillars, sift through soil or leaf litter for pupae, and use light traps to attract flying adults during nighttime.

Evening or nighttime would be the most suitable time to find adult lesser yellow underwing, especially just after dusk when they start becoming active.

Warm and windless nights are most suitable, as lesser yellow underwing are more likely to be active in such conditions and less so during cold or rainy weather.