Don’t let its name trick you: the hedge rustic moth (Tholera cespitis) actually stays far away from hedgerows! Instead, this handsome, late-summer nocturnal flyer—measuring 34 to 40 millimeters across—prefers the wide-open spaces of rough grasslands, moorland edges, and open parklands. Dressed in varying shades from pale, warm ochre to rich, chocolate brown, these moths flutter through the night from August into September. They handle harsh northern winters through a clever survival trick: adults lay sturdy eggs that hibernate right through the freezing months. Come spring, their night-grazing caterpillars hatch to feed on wild grasses under the cover of darkness before retreating into the soil. Spread all the way from Western Europe to the distant Altai Mountains in Siberia, they are a classic grassland species. I was lucky enough to spot this beautiful moth taking a peaceful daytime nap in a wide, flowery meadow in Akalla, Sweden!