Lithophane leautieri

Blair's shoulder-knot
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Lithophane
Species:
L. leautieri
Binomial name
Lithophane leautieri
(Boisduval, 1829)

Lithophane leautieri, the Blair's shoulder-knot, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in Europe. It originated from the area surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, but gradually moved north.

Technical description and variation

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

The wingspan is 39–44 mm. Forewing pale grey, dusted with olive grey; lines strongly dentate, but much obscured, marked by short oblique costal streaks; upper stigmata ill-defined, but united at their base by a long black line; the reniform with fulvous in lower half; claviform elongate, black-edged, united by a short black streak with outer line; a well-marked black streak from base on submedian fold; submarginal line indicated only by black dentate marks preceding it, of which the two on the folds are longest; fringe mottled dark and light grey; hindwing pale brownish grey, darker towards termen; ab. sabinae Geyer is rather smaller, blue-grey, more distinctly marked, especially the median shade and submarginal teeth; reniform stigma with hardly any fulvous in it; the two black lines on submedian fold hardly visible.[1]

Subspecies

  • Lithophane leautieri sabinae (Geyer, 1832), Valais, Switzerland
  • Lithophane leautieri nicaeenis Boursin, 1957, south Germany
  • Lithophane leautieri cyrnos Boursin, 1957, Corsiaa und Sardinia
  • Lithophane leautieri hesperica Boursin, 1957 Spain, Hetherlands and British Isles
  • Lithophane leautieri andalusica Boursin, 1962, Sierra Nevada
  • leautieri ochreimacula (Rothschild, 1914), Maghreb

[2]

Biology

The moth flies from September to mid-November.[1]

The larva is dark green, dorsal and subdorsal lines white, segmentally swollen and partially interrupted; spiracular line yellowish white. The larvae feed on various cypress species.[3]

The species primarily inhabits xerophilic cypress and juniper areas and can also be found in gardens and parks. The altitude distribution ranges from sea level to 1800 metres.

Notes

  1. ^ The flight season refers to Belgium and The Netherlands. This may vary in other parts of the range.

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. ^ László Ronkay, José Luis Yela, Márton Hreblay: Hadeninae II. - Noctuidae Europaeae, Volume 5. Sorø, 2001, ISBN 87-89430-06-9, S. 141–143
  3. ^ "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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