Small Purple and Gold in a suburban garden in North Warwickshire. © 2015 - 2024 Steven Cheshire.
Small Purple and Gold
Pyrausta aurata (63.006)
Similar to the Common Purple and Gold (Pyrausta purpuralis), the Small Purple and Gold feeds on mints and is quick to colonise mint plants in urban and suburban gardens and allotments.
The Small Purple and Gold has two generations per year and is on the wing in May and June, and again in July and August. It flies both during the day and at night and is easy to observe in gardens where the larval foodplants are grown.
Please note: From February 2023 all sightings records should be submitted via the iRecord Butterflies app available via the iTunes or Google Store. Find out more here: iRecord at Butterfly Conservation.