English: Nine-spotted moth (Amata phegea Linnaeus, 1758) is a species of lepidopteran insects of the genus Amata (Fabricius, 1807) of the family Erebidae (Leach, 1815). Common in Southern and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Asia Minor, Iran and Kazakhstan. The species prefers drier areas. Inhabits open mountain ranges with shrubs and trees, as well as open forests and warm sunny slopes. Wingspan 32-42 mm. Males are smaller than females and have thicker antennae. The front wings are elongated, the rear wings are short. The main background of the wings is blue-black. There are usually six white spots on the front wings, two on the rear wings, and the basal spot of the hind wings is significantly larger. The first and fifth abdominal segments are yellow. The abdomen is black and blue. The end of the abdomen clearly protrudes beyond the lower edge of the hind wings. Antennae are long, filamentous. Caterpillars can reach about 5 centimeters in length. They are gray-black with thick dark brown fluffy hairs that grow from small growths. The head is reddish-brown. Moths fly on warm sunny days from late May to August. Females lay eggs on a variety of grasses. Larvae hatch in early August and are omnivorous, feeding on various herbaceous plants (Plantago, Rumex, Galium, Gramineae, Taraxacum, etc.). The caterpillar hibernates in a silk nest and pupates in May in cocoons on the ground.

English: Nine-spotted moth