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Moth of the Week
Primrose Moth
Schinia florida
The primrose moth is part of the family Noctuidae or the family of owlet moths. It was described by French lawyer and entomologist Achille Guenée in 1852. This moths earns its name from the evening-primrose, which hosts and feeds the larvae.
Description This moth has a pink head with pink filiform antennae. Their bodies are a pale yellow or cream with a pink underside. The forewings are pink with a large pale yellow edge on the outer margin. inside the pink area are pale yellow markings with a larger spot of pale yellow by lower thorax. The hindwings are cream or white with a pale yellow underside.
Average wingspan: 31.5 mm (≈ 1.2 in)
Diet and Habitat Primrose moth caterpillars eat evening primrose, biennial gaura and other members of the Onagraceae family. The larvae eat the seeds and flowers of these plants rather than the leaves. This species is found in continental North America in temperate regions. It’s range spans from southern Canada and almost all regions of the United States. This moth reaches up to Alberta and eastern Washington state. In the East and West, this Spence’s goes as far as North Carolina and Utah respectively. They do not live in the lower southwestern United States. They are found in open meadows and on the prairies of the Great Plains of eastern North America. They also like fields, clearings, and wastelands.
Mating The primrose moth mating season coincides with the blooming season of the primrose plant, whose buds are hosts to the moth’s eggs. The eggs hatch 4-5 days after being laid. These caterpillars burrow into the ground to pupate and spend the winter. There is only one generation per year.
Average of 114 eggs laid per female
Predators This species is preyed on by birds and bats.
Fun Fact During the day, adults hide and camouflage themselves in partially closed primrose flowers, and they are strictly nocturnal.
(Source: Wikipedia; Moth Identification; Pacific Northwest Moths; Fishers Island Conservatory; Outside My Window; Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 1970, 282-287; Butterflies, Moths, Dragonflies & Damselflies of Dayton, Ohio)
Moth of the Week
Beautiful Yellow Underwing
Anarta myrtilli
The beautiful yellow underwing is a moth in the family Noctuidae. This species was first described in 1761 by Carl Linnaeus. They are predictably named for the yellow portion of the hindwings.
Description This moth has many color variations depending on region.
The most common coloration is a red and olive brown or olive yellow forewing with strong white patterning. Additionally, the forewings have a ringed stigmata (a spot by the middle of the forewing found on Nocuids) next to a distinctive white spot. The hindwings are orange-yellow with a dark brown borders.
In Sweden, northern England, and northern Scotland the forewings are instead a dull dark purple with paler patterning, the same triangular white spot, and a less visible stigmata. The hindwings are the same yellow-orange but with black borders.
Other minor differences are the forewing being mixed with olive brown in East Anglian, the red in the forewing being almost entirely switched with black in Hyères, France, and the forewing being mixed with black as well as a pale yellow hindwing in Sintra, Portugal.
Average wingspan: 21 mm (≈0.83 in)
Diet and Habitat This moth feeds on Heather and Bell Heather only. It can be found across Europe in Scandinavia, Britain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Russia. They prefer sunny habitats that grow heather easily such as heathland and moorland in the mountain and sandy areas.
Mating The beautiful yellow underwing usually has two generations per year from April to early September. The larvae hatch from their eggs, which are laid on heather, in July in the north and April in the south.
Predators This moth is parasitized by the flies Athrycia impressa, Campylocheta inepta, and Phryxe vulgaris while both are in their larval stages.
Fun Fact The beautiful yellow underwing flies mainly during the day but occasionally comes out at night.
(Source: Wikipedia, Butterfly Conservation, Pyrgus.de, BioInfo (UK))
Moth of the Week
Antler Moth
Cerapteryx graminis
The antler moth is a part of the family Noctuidae. It was first described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus. This moth gets its name from the antler shaped mark in its forewings.
Description This moth species has brown forewings, with a “basal streak” of white that branches out. This mark may vary in size per moth. The forewings show a mirrored pattern of the base brown broken up by the branches and a few spots and lines of lighter brown. The forewing also may or may not have black streaks. The hindwing is dark brown with a white fringe.
Males are smaller than females with fluffier antennae.
Male Wingspan: 27 - 32mm (≈1.06 - 1.26in)
Female Wingspan: 35 - 39mm (≈1.38 - 1.53in)
Diet and Habitat The larva of this species feeds on grasses such as Deschampsia, Sheep’s-fescue (Festuca ovina), Mat-grass (Nardus stricta) and Purple Moor-grass (Molinia caerulea). It has also been found on sedges and rushes. When the larva population is concentrated enough, they can damage pastures. Adults feed on flowers such as thistles and ragworts.
This species is common through most of Europe. It’s northernmost reach is Iceland and above the Arctic Circle. It’s easternmost reach is Siberia and North Mongolia. This moth does not occur in the dry southern regions of Europe. It has been introduced to North America. Additionally, this species inhabits the Alps. They prefer habitats of grassland, favouring acid upland pasture, moorland and downland.
Mating Adult moths are seen flying from July to September. They presumably mate in this time frame.
Predators This moth flies during the day, especially in the north, warm weather, and early mornings, and at night. They are presumably preyed on by both daytime and night time predators like birds and bats. They are attracted to light. To protect themselves during the day, this moth hides in the grass.
Fun Fact The antler moth rises to an altitude of 2100 meters in the Alps.
(Source: Wikipedia, Butterfly Conservation)
Moth of the Week
Angle Shades
Phlogophora meticulosa
Image source
The angle shades is a part of the family Noctuidae. This species was first described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus. According to Wikipedia, this moth gets its common name from the colors and marking on its wings.
Description The forewings of this moth are shaped with a sharp point. Most of the forewing is buffish as well as the head, legs, body, and antennae. The middle of the forewing is split by a triangle. The bottom of the triangle lays on the termen of the forewing or “the edge of the wing most distant from the body.” The triangle is made of layers of brown and pink. The hindwings are whitish with darker veins.
ab. roseobrunnea ab. nov [Warren], the central triangle is a rich red brown tinged with fulvous (tawny/orange), the whole wing reddish tinged, and the green shades all strongly mixed with red, the metathorax and dorsal tufts also being deep fulvous instead of green; found in São Jorge Island in the Azores
Wingspan Range: 45 - 52 mm (≈1.77 - 2.05 in)
Diet and Habitat This species eats a wide range of herbaceous plants such as Common Nettle (Urtica dioica), Hop (Humulus lupulus), Red Valerian (Centranthus ruber), Broad-leaved Dock (Rumex obtusifolius), Bramble (Rubus fruiticosus), Hazel (Corylus avellana), birches, oak, basil, and broccoli.
They are distributed throughout Europe. Their reach spans eastto the Urals, southeast to Syria, Armenia, and Asia Minor, west to Azores, and south to Algeria. They are a strongly migratory species. It is found in a variety of habitats such as gardens, hedgerows, fens, woodland, grasslands, farmland, wetlands, heathland, and moorland.
Mating This moth is generally seen from May to October and has two generations per year. The larva overwinter in soil as pupa.
Predators This species flies mainly at night. They are presumably preyed on by nighttime predators such as bats. This moth uses its coloration to disguise itself as a wilted leaf when at rest. They can be seen during the day resting on walls, vegetation, and feces.
Fun Fact The angle shades is attracted to light and sugar.
(Source: Wikipedia [1][2], Butterfly Conservation, The Wildlife Trusts)