Orthosia cruda
Orthosia cruda | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Superfamily: | Noctuoidea |
Family: | Noctuidae |
Genus: | Orthosia |
Species: | O. cruda |
Binomial name | |
Orthosia cruda (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) |
Orthosia cruda, the small Quaker, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in Europe, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Turkey, the Caucasus, Transcaucasia, Kazakhstan, Israel, Lebanon, Cyprus and Jordan.
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Technical description and variation
The wingspan is 28–32 mm. Forewing grey brown, dusted with dark grey and reddish atoms: inner and outer lines marked by black spots on veins; submarginal line pale, indistinct; upper stigmata dark grey edged with pale and then with rufous; hindwing dull grey. Like Orthosia stabilis, which it resembles in colouration, it varies according to the amount of red shown; — thus pallida Tutt is a very pale grey form without red, but sometimes slightly ochreous-tinged; — pusillus Haw.is a darker grey form without red admixture; — nanus Haw. is like the typical form, reddish grey, but paler; — rufa Tutt is a rarer, reddish form; — lastly, ambigua Hbn. represents a dark red-brown or grey-brown insect with the lines and markings well shown.[1]
Biology
The moth flies in one generation from the end of February to mid-May.[1]
Larva yellowish green, sometimes brown; dorsal and subdorsal lines fine, yellowish white;spiracular line broader and yellower; anal segment with a yellow cross bar; spiracles white with black rings. The larvae feed on various deciduous trees, such as oak and willow. It lives between leaves spun together.[2]
Notes
- ^ The flight season refers to Belgium and the Netherlands. This may vary in other parts of the range.
References
- ^ Seitz, A. Ed., 1914 Die Großschmetterlinge der Erde, Verlag Alfred Kernen, Stuttgart Band 3: Abt. 1, Die Großschmetterlinge des palaearktischen Faunengebietes, Die palaearktischen eulenartigen Nachtfalter, 1914
- ^ "Robinson, G. S., P. R. Ackery, I. J. Kitching, G. W. Beccaloni & L. M. Hernández, 2010. HOSTS - A Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants. Natural History Museum, London".
External links