The Viper's Bugloss ''(Hadena irregularis)'' is a species of
moth
Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (s ...
of the family
Noctuidae
The Noctuidae, commonly known as owlet moths, cutworms or armyworms, are a family (biology), family of moths. Taxonomically, they are considered the most controversial family in the superfamily Noctuoidea because many of the clades are constantly ...
. It is found in
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
.
The
wingspan
The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the opposite wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingsp ...
is 32–36 mm. Meyrick describes it - Forewings whitish-ochreous, irregularly suffused with pale ochreous brownish; first and second lines edged externally with ochreous brownish, internally with dark brown; median line ochreous brown; orbicular and reniform outlined with pale; subterminal line pale, edged anteriorly with ochreous-brown; termen unmarked; cilia barred. Hindwings are light fuscous, with darker postmedian line and subterminal band.Meyrick, E., 1895 ''A Handbook of British Lepidoptera'' MacMillan, Londo pdf
In the larvae, yellow grey coloured specimens predominate. They have brownish lateral and dorsal lines and darker angled spots that open to the front of the dorsum. The reddish-brown pupa has two short, curved tips on the cremaster.
The moth flies from July to August depending on the location.
The larvae feed on '' Silene otites'' (in the seed-capsules) and ''
Gypsophila
''Gypsophila'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the carnation family, Caryophyllaceae. They are native to Eurasia, Africa, Australia, and the Pacific Islands.Silene otites'').