A. megacephala F. (3b). Forewing pale grey, suffused with dark, except in a patch beyond cell hindwing white in male, greyer in female. Larva dark grey, with granulated yellowish dots ; segment 11 with a large yellowish-white dorsal patch ; the hairs, which rise singly, whitish : head black with pale — In grumi Alph. the forewing is narrower, the space between inner line and median shade conspicuously whitish; this form is found in West China. — ab. ochrea Tutt has the ground colour distinctly ochreous; while in ab. rosea Tutt the forewing is rosy-tinged.

^[1]Melanic forms sometimes occur. The wingspan is 40–45 mm.

This moth flies at night from May to August ^[1] and is attracted to light and sugar.

The hairy larva is grey with black and red markings and a white patch towards the rear. It feeds on poplars and willows and sometimes on grey alder. The species overwinters as a pupa.

1. ^ The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range.

• Chinery, Michael Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe 1986 (reprinted 1991)
• Skinner, Bernard Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles 1984

• Poplar Grey (Subacronicta megacephala) on UKmoths
• Subacronicta megacephala on Fauna Europaea
• Acronicta megacephala on Lepiforum.de