About Autographa jota (Linnaeus, 1758)
Autographa jota (Linnaeus, 1758) has a wingspan ranging from 36 to 44 millimetres (1.4 to 1.7 inches). Its forewings are pale dull rosy with olive fuscous shading, and feature a brown spot at the middle of the base. The inner and outer lines are nearly straight, edged with brown; the median area from the inner margin to above the middle is ferruginous brown. A small V-shaped spot on vein 2 and a small round spot close beyond it are pale golden; the reniform stigma is partially edged with brownish colour. The subterminal line has a suffused olive brown margin, except above the anal angle. The hindwings are fuscous brown, with a darker terminal border. In the rarer form percontationis Tr., the two golden marks are coalescent. Conversely, the outer spot, and sometimes both golden marks, may be absent, as seen in the aberration inscripta Esp. In the inscripta form from the Baltic provinces of Russia, the ground colour is much darker, especially in the lower portion of the median area. A similar dark form, but with golden markings that are confluent as in percontationis Tr., is Autographa monogramma (Alphéraky, 1887) previously treated as a subspecies monogramma Alph., found in Turkestan and the Ussuri district. The caterpillars of Autographa jota are light green. They have a dark dorsal line bordered with white, along with slightly wavy white secondary dorsal lines, white lateral stripes and pointed warts. The spiracles are yellowish, and the head is green. The pupa is black, and yellowish at its base.
