Buff-tip
| Buff-tip | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Superfamily: | Noctuoidea |
| Family: | Notodontidae |
| Genus: | Phalera |
| Species: | P. bucephala
|
| Binomial name | |
| Phalera bucephala | |
Thebuff-tip(Phalera bucephala) is amothof the familyNotodontidae.It is found throughout Europe and in Asia to eastern Siberia.[1]The species wasfirst describedbyCarl Linnaeusin his 175810th edition ofSystema Naturae.
Description
[edit]This is a fairly large, heavy-bodied species with awingspanof 55–68 mm. The forewings are grey with a large prominentbuffpatch at the apex. As thethoracichair is also buff, the moth resembles a broken twig when at rest. The hindwings are creamy white. This moth flies at night in June and July[1]and sometimes comes to light, although it is not generally strongly attracted.
The younglarvaearegregarious,becoming solitary later. The older larva is very striking, black with white and yellow lines. It feeds on manytreesandshrubs(see list below). The species overwinters as apupa.
- ^The flight season refers to theBritish Isles.This may vary in other parts of the range.
Natural History
[edit]Historically, the buff-tip moth has been referred to as a pest due to their tendency to feast upon apple trees in Lithuania during the 1900s. Outbreaks of this species may increase in areas with high levels of environmental nitrogen compounds.[2][3]
Recorded food plants
[edit]For details see Robinson et al., 2010.[4]
- Acer–Norway maple
- Betula–birch
- ^Heath, John;Maitland Emmet, A,eds. (1983).The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland. Volume 9. Sphringidae - Noctuidae.Colchester: Harley Books. p. 41.
- ^Port, GR; Thompson, JR (1980). "Outbreaks of insect herbivores on plants along motorways in the United Kingdom".Journal of Applied Ecology.17(3): 649–656.doi:10.2307/2402643.JSTOR2402643.
- ^Morimoto, J; Pietras, Z (2020)."Strong foraging preferences forRibes alpinum(Saxifragales: Grossulariaceae) in the polyphagous caterpillars of Buff-tip mothPhalera bucephala(Lepidoptera: Notodontidae) ".Ecology and Evolution.10(24): 13583–13592.doi:10.1002/ece3.6981.PMC7771136.PMID33391664.
- ^Robinson, Gaden S.; Ackery, Phillip R.; Kitching, Ian J.; Beccaloni, George W.; Hernández, Luis M. (2010)."Search the database - introduction and help".HOSTS - A Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants.Natural History Museum, London.
- Castanea-chestnut
- Corylus–hazel
- Ribes-currant[1]
- Laburnum
- Populus–poplar
- Prunus
- Quercus–oak
- Robinia
- Rosa–rose
- Salix–willow
- Tilia– lime
- Ulmus–elm
- Viburnum
Subspecies
[edit]- P. b. bucephala
- P. b. tenebrata
Gallery
[edit]-
Eggs -
Caterpillar -
Adult in profile -
Adult back -
Adult front -
Male -
Habitat
References
[edit]- ^Morimoto, J., & Pietras, Z. (2020). Strong foraging preferences for Ribes alpinum (Saxifragales: Grossulariaceae) in the polyphagous caterpillars of Buff-tip moth Phalera bucephala (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae). Wiley Online Library. Retrieved July 17, 2022, fromhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1002/ece3.6981
- Chinery, Michael(1991).Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe.
- Skinner, Bernard(1984).The Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles.
Further reading
[edit]- South R. (1907)The Moths of the British Isles,(First Series), Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd., London & NY: 359 pp.online
External links
[edit]
- Kimber, Ian."71.025 BF1994 Buff-tipPhalera bucephala(Linnaeus, 1758) ".UKMoths.Retrieved30 July2019.
- Fauna Europaea
- Lepiforum e.V.