''Lycophotia molothina'' is a species of

moth Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (s ...

in the family

Noctuidae The Noctuidae, commonly known as owlet moths, cutworms or armyworms, are a family (biology), family of moths. Taxonomically, they are considered the most controversial family in the superfamily Noctuoidea because many of the clades are constantly ...

. It is distributed throughout south-western and central Europe and is found wherever its food plants grow. It is traditionally thought of as a species of

heathland A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and is characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a coole ...

. This species shows a wingspan of 38–40 mm. The forewings are brown or grey, often tinged with red or blue and marked with a whitish streak at the front part. Orbicular and reniform stigma are grey and well defined. The hindwings are light grey. Lycophotia molothina flies from May to the end of July and is attracted to light and sugar. The young

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

is light green with five pale lines. Adult larvae change their colour into dark green, reddish or brown. They feed on ''

Calluna vulgaris ''Calluna vulgaris'', common heather, ling, or simply heather, is the sole species in the genus ''Calluna'' in the flowering plant family Ericaceae. It is a low-growing evergreen shrub growing to tall, or rarely to and taller, and is found wide ...

''. The species overwinters as a larva.

Subspecies

*''Lycophotia molothina molothina'' *''Lycophotia molothina occidentalis'' (Bellier, 1860)

Reading

Michael Fibiger: Noctuidae Europaeae. Vol. 2, Entomological Press, Sorø 1993, .

External links

Fauna EuropaeaLepiforum.de
Lycophotia Moths described in 1789 Moths of Europe Taxa named by Eugenius Johann Christoph Esper {{Noctuinae-stub