Mark Lane
Head Gardener, Buckingham Palace

Burnished Brass - Diachrysia chrysitis

© David G Green

The metallic patches on the upper wing make the Burnished Brass easily identifiable.

A common moth throughout the British Isles, the Burnished Brass can be found in a variety of habitats from woodland to wasteland and gardens. It can sometimes be seen feeding from Buddleia around dusk.

The larvae hatch from their eggs in late summer, feed for a while and then hibernate when quite small in the leaf litter at the base of the foodplant. The caterpillars resume feeding in April and completes its growth by the end of May. The caterpillar then forms a cocoon on the underside of a leaf folding the edges of the leaf around it as it progresses. The adults then emerge about four weeks later.

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