Ynghylch

Unless you use a moth trap, you're more likely to encounter the hairy, gold speckled caterpillar of this large brownish moth. They're most often found in marshy places, where the caterpillars feed on a variety of grasses and reeds, like cock's-foot and reed canary-grass.

Adults fly in July and August, when they can be attracted to lights. The females lay eggs in small clusters on reed and grass stems, which hatch in just over a week. They spend the winter as a small caterpillar, tucked away in sheltered spots low down in the vegetation.

Caterpillars emerge again in spring to fatten up, when they're often seen basking on low vegetation. When they're large enough, they pupate inside a papery cocoon formed on a grass or reed stem.