Xestia speciosa is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in northern Europe, including Fennoscandia, the Baltic region, parts of Russia, north Asia, the Pacific Ocean and Japan. It is also found in the mountainous areas of central and southern Europe and north-western North America.
Some authors treat Xestia apropitia as a valid species, while Mikkola, Lafontaine, and Kononenko (1996) placed it as a subspecies of Xestia speciosa.
The wingspan of ssp. speciosa is 38–50 mm. Subspecies arctica has a wingspan of 36–45 mm. Adults are on wing from June to August in one generation.
The larvae feed on various low-growing plants, including Vaccinium myrtillus,Lonicera nigra, and Betula nana.
Note that only speciosa, arctica, and modesta are confirmed subspecies. The other listed subspecies need further study to confirm their status. Xestia viridescens is sometimes included here as another subspecies.