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Red-Line Quaker

2. Red-Line Quaker, Yellow-line Quaker and Brick
These three species appear in the Autumn - typically in October or early November.
This distinguishes them from the other Quakers which appear in the Spring

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Quakers, etc

Noctuids in the sub-family Hadeninae include a number of species which are difficult to tell apart because they are very variable. We include some of the more common ones.

1. Common Quaker, Powdered Quaker, Small Quaker, Twin-Spotted Quaker, Clouded Drab. These all come to light in the early Spring and, except for Powdered Quaker, may be seen in March.

Common Quaker Wing length 13-17 mm

Powdered Quaker

Small Quaker

Twin-Spotted Quaker

Clouded Drab

Oval and kidney marks large and clearly outlined

Row of black dots between kidney mark and outer cross-line faint or absent.

Outer cross-line smoothly curved and clearly defined

Chalky appearance usually peppered with black dots.

Oval mark usually small and faint.

Row of black dots between kidney mark and outer cross-line show clearly.

Notes :

1. Common Quaker is very variable so may look quite like Powdered Quaker but with a large oval mark.

2. Flight period for Powdered Quaker is April and May, whereas Common Quaker may be seen in February and March as well.

Oval mark small and often faint.

Kidney mark narrow and usually dark.

Distinguished by two clear spots in the middle of the forewing near the outer edge.

However sometimes the spots are brown or orange.

Usually the spots are black.

Usually Clouded Drab is coloured a distinctive browny-grey with areas of clear brown.

However there are many colour variations.

The brown colouring above the outer cross-line is in the form of 3 blotches - in the middle of the line and near the leading and trailing edges of the forewing.

Notes :- 1. There are two other less common species of Drab - Lead-coloured Drab and Northern Drab - (See Hantsmoths)
2. Another common moth of this family which comes to light in the early Spring is Hebrew Character

Wing length 12-15mm. Usually noticeably smaller than Common Quaker or Powdered Quaker if seen together.

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The background colour of the forewing is silvery grey

The red line in the outer cross-band is straight or gently curving except for a kink near the leading edge of the wing.

The background colour of the forewing is brown - often quite orangey brown.

The ‘yellow’ line in the outer cross-band is the same shape as in the Red-line Quaker and is orange or brown rather than yellow.

Yellow-line Quaker

Brick

The background colour varies but is generally brown.

The coloured line in the outer cross-band undulates irregularly.

Background often shows a network of brown lines

Intense black spot on inside of kidney mark. For Yellow-line Quaker or Brick it is grey-black or absent.