clouded buff

The clouded buff (Diacrisia sannio) is a moth in the family Erebidae found across temperate Europe and extending through Asia. The species shows striking sexual dimorphism: males have warm orange-yellow forewings with diffuse cloudy brownish markings and red hindwings, while females are predominantly pale buff-cream throughout. The adult wingspan measures approximately 35–45 mm. The species inhabits heathlands, bogs, moorlands, wet meadows, and rough grasslands where its larval foodplants — heathers (Calluna, Erica), plantains, and various low-growing herbs — are available. Adults fly from June to August in a single generation, with males active by day and both sexes flying at night. The conspicuous coloration of males is likely aposematic, warning predators of potential unpalatability. The clouded buff has declined significantly across parts of northwestern Europe due to widespread loss of heathland through agricultural conversion, succession to woodland, and fragmentation. It remains a characteristic species of well-maintained heathland and moorland in Britain and Scandinavia, where traditional management practices maintaining open heather structure are important for its conservation.