''Anania hortulata'', the small magpie, is a species of
moth
Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of ...
of the family
Crambidae
The Crambidae are the grass moth family of lepidopterans. They are variable in appearance, the nominal subfamily Crambinae (grass moths) taking up closely folded postures on grass stems where they are inconspicuous, while other subfamilies includ ...
. It is found in
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...
and
North America.
The
wingspan
The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingspan ...
is
The head and thorax are deep ochreous-yellow, black-spotted. Forewings are yellowish-white,
markings blackish ; base blackish, with two ochreous-yellow marks ; a suffused costal streak ; lines thick, first irregular, second tending to form spots, curved, narrowest below middle ; small orbicular and large round discal spots, touching costal streak ; a terminal fascia tending to form spots, edge parallel to second line. Hind wings with colour, second line, and terminal fascia as in forewings ; a blackish discal spot. The larva is whitish ; dorsal line dull green, white-edged ; head and plate of 2 black.
The moth flies from June to July depending on the location.
The larvae feed on ''
Stachys
''Stachys'' is a genus of plants, one of the largest in the mint family Lamiaceae.Harley, R. M., et al. 2004. "Labiatae". pages 167–275. In: Kubitzki, K. (editor) and J. W. Kadereit (volume editor). ''The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants ...
'',
mint
MiNT is Now TOS (MiNT) is a free software alternative operating system kernel for the Atari ST system and its successors. It is a multi-tasking alternative to TOS and MagiC. Together with the free system components fVDI device drivers, XaAE ...
and
nettle
{{redirect, Nettle
Nettle refers to plants with stinging hairs, particularly those of the genus ''Urtica''. It can also refer to plants which resemble ''Urtica'' species in appearance but do not have stinging hairs. Plants called "nettle" include ...
.
References
External links
Small magpie at UKmoths''Anania hortulata'' on Bug GuideLepiforum.de
Pyraustinae
Moths described in 1758
Moths of Europe
Moths of North America
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
{{Anania-stub