Tholera cespitis

Tholera cespitis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Tholera
Species: T. cespitis
Binomial name
Tholera cespitis
(Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)
Synonyms
  • Noctua cespitis Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775
  • Noctua hordei Schrank, 1801
  • Agrotis autumnalis Stephens, 1827
  • Charaeas confinis Stephens, 1829
  • Apamea chloris Milliére, 1883
  • Neuronia cespitis var. decolor Sohn-Rethel, 1896

Tholera cespitis, the hedge rustic, is a species of moth of the Noctuidae family. It is found through the Palearctic from Europe to the Altai Mountains of Siberia.

Technical description and variation

For a key to the terms used, see Glossary of entomology terms.

The wingspan is 34–40 mm. Forewing dark earth brown; lines indistinct; inner and outer black with paler edges; submarginal pale, with black wedge-shaped spots before it; claviform stigma obscure, black-edged; orbicular roundish, brown with pale ring; reniform large with paler outline, especially externally; hindwing whitish, the veins dark; termen diffusely brownish; in male white, with termen narrowly grey; — ab. ferruginea Hofm. (Carinthia and the Tyrol) is much paler with a reddish yellow tint.[1]

Biology

There is one generation per year with adults on wing from the end of July to September.

Larva shining dark brown; thoracic and anal plates black; head brown; dorsal and subdorsal lines narrow, pale yellow; lateral stripe broader; spiracles black. The larvae feed on various grasses, including Nardus stricta, Calamagrostis purpurea, Festuca and Deschampsia species.[2] Larvae can be found from March to July. The species overwinters as an egg.

Subspecies

References

  1. ↑ 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
  2. ↑ "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.".
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