It flies at night in July and August[1] and is attracted to light, sugar and flowers.

The distribution area ranges from Spain in the west to Korea and Japan.

In the Alps it rises up to about 1000 m. Forewing purplish black; the lines and edges of stigmata blacker; reniform filled up with cream white round a rufous centre; submarginal line yellowish white broken up into spots preceded by black wedgeshaped marks; hindwing dirty whitish with broad blackish terminal border; the veins and cellspot blackish; fringe paler.

has the reniform dark with a slight paler external border; it does not occur in Britain, though common in Europe, nor have I seen it from Japan, but Oberthur records it from Askold Island.

See Robinson, G. S. et al.[3] Melanchra persicariae occupies a wide range of habitats including woodland, field or meadow edges, hedgerows and gardens