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True Lover's Knot Lycophotia porphyrea

Yet another Owlet Moth proving not all members of this family are drab. Reaching a wingspan of 25 to 33 mm this is quite a small species. The fore wings are reddish brown, often tinged with purple. There is a complex set of white markings, apparently reminding someone of a true lover's knot, hence the name. People in Holland thought about granite more and called it the Freestone Owlet. There is little variation in ground colour and markings, but very rarely the wings are greyish. The hind wings are greyish, sometimes buff.

Caterpillars appear from August onwards.They overwinter being almost full grown. In spring they make a cocoon underground and pupate. They are not very difficult to identify: brown, up to 27 mm and with three rows of white spots on the back. On the sides an ochrous, sometimes pinkish white band. The head is yellowish brown with darker spots and small lines. The caterpillar of the True Lover's Knot feeds on heather and Erica, sometimes including plants in gardens.

This is a species of Northern and Central Europe, eastwards all the way to the Ural. It is not present in Southern Spain and Portugal, Southern Italy,and Southern Greece. The True Lover's Knot is quite a common species all over the British Isles, as long as its foodplants are present.