About Xestia speciosa Hübner, 1813
Xestia speciosa is a moth species belonging to the family Noctuidae. It is distributed across northern Europe, including Fennoscandia, the Baltic region, and parts of Russia. It can also be found in north Asia, Japan, mountainous areas of central and southern Europe, and north-western North America. There is ongoing taxonomic debate around this species: some authors classify Xestia apropitia as a separate valid species, while Mikkola, Lafontaine, and Kononenko (1996) reclassified it as a subspecies of Xestia speciosa. The nominate subspecies Xestia speciosa speciosa has a wingspan ranging from 38 to 50 mm, and the subspecies arctica has a wingspan of 36 to 45 mm. Adult moths are active from June to August, producing one generation per year. The larvae of Xestia speciosa feed on a variety of low-growing plants, including Vaccinium myrtillus, Lonicera nigra, and Betula nana.
