''Brahmaea'' (''Acanthobrahmaea'') ''europaea'', the European owl moth, is a

lepidopteran Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organisms, making it ...

from the family

Brahmaeidae Brahmaeidae is a family of insects in the order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, ...

, in the subgenus ''Acanthobrahmaea''.

Taxonomy

''B. europaea'' is the sole species in the genus ''

Brahmaea ''Brahmaea'' is a genus of moths of the family Brahmaeidae. ''Acanthobrahmaea'', ''Brahmidia'', and ''Brachygnatha'' are synonyms. ''Acanthobrahmaea'' has sometimes been considered a subgenus, describing an endemic relict species that only occurs ...

'' in Europe. Most members of the genus are found in eastern Asia. The species can be identified by wing veins in adults and pupal dorsal spines on abdominal segments. The species was originally described as ''Acanthobrahmaea europaea'' in 1963, but '' Acanthobrahmaea'' later became a subgenus.

Distribution and habitat

The species can only be found in southern

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. Their habitat consists of broad leaf woods in mountainous areas at elevations of 200 to 800 metres, in semi-deciduous and undisturbed woodlands.

Habitat fragmentation Habitat fragmentation describes the emergence of discontinuities (fragmentation) in an organism's preferred environment (habitat), causing population fragmentation and ecosystem decay. Causes of habitat fragmentation include geological proces ...

, light pollution, clearing of forest underbrush, and collection of rare species are likely factors affecting ''B. europaea'' distribution and abundance, and contribute to its current

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...

endangered status. Wild boar can also consume both host plants and pupae in the ground.

Life cycle

Adults fly from late March to early May. Adults are active after sunset and are cold-tolerant enough to be seen flying during snowfall. Adults lay eggs on the trunks of plants within

Oleaceae Oleaceae, also known as the olive family or sometimes the lilac family, is a taxonomic family of flowering shrubs, trees, and a few lianas in the order Lamiales. It presently comprises 28 genera, one of which is recently extinct.Peter S. Gree ...

, including ''

Fraxinus angustifolia ''Fraxinus angustifolia'', the narrow-leaved ash, is a species of ''Fraxinus'' native to Central Europe and Southern Europe, Northwest Africa, and Southwest Asia.Flora Europaea''Fraxinus angustifolia''/ref>Rushforth, K. (1999). ''Trees of Britai ...

'', '' Phyllirea latifolia'', and ''

Ligustrum vulgare ''Ligustrum vulgare'' (wild privet, also sometimes known as common privet or European privet) is a species of ''Ligustrum'' native to central and southern Europe, north Africa and southwestern Asia, from Ireland and southwestern Sweden south to M ...

'' in captivity. Eggs hatch at the end of March and April 12 to 15 days after

oviposition The ovipositor is a tube-like organ used by some animals, especially insects, for the laying of eggs. In insects, an ovipositor consists of a maximum of three pairs of appendages. The details and morphology of the ovipositor vary, but typica ...

. The larvae move to the top of the plant and move downwards as leaves are consumed. Larvae may move to other plants depending on size. Larvae undergo five

instar An instar (, from the Latin '' īnstar'' 'form, likeness') is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, which occurs between each moult (''ecdysis'') until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to ...

pupate A pupa (; : pupae) is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their life cycle, the stages the ...

on the ground where they overwinter, and emerge as adults the following spring.

References

External links

NHM
includes photo of the

pupa A pupa (; : pupae) is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their life cycle, the stages th ...

. Brahmaeidae Endemic fauna of Italy Moths described in 1963 Moths of Europe {{Bombycoidea-stub