Svensson's copper underwing

Svensson's copper underwing
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Superfamily:	Noctuoidea
Family:	Noctuidae
Genus:	Amphipyra
Species:	A. berbera
Binomial name
Amphipyra berbera Rungs, 1949

Caterpillar

Svensson's copper underwing (Amphipyra berbera) is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Charles E. Rungs in 1949. It is distributed throughout Europe including Russia east to the Urals.

This species has a wingspan of 47–56 mm, the female usually larger than the male. The forewings are brown, marked with pale fascia and a dark-centred pale stigma. The hindwings are bright copper-coloured. This species is very similar to the copper underwing (Amphipyra pyramidea) but can usually be distinguished by the pattern on the underside of the hindwings: A. pyramidea has a pale central area, contrasting strongly with darker margins; A berbera is much more uniformly coloured. See Townsend et al.[1]

A. berbera flies at night from July to September[a] and is attracted to light and strongly to sugar.

The larva feeds on a range of trees and shrubs (see list below). The species overwinters as an egg.

Recorded food plants

• Acer – sycamore maple
• Carpinus – hornbeam
• Populus – aspen
• Quercus – oak
• Rhododendron
• Salix – willow
• Sorbus – rowan
• Syringa – lilac
• Tilia – lime[2]
• Wisteria – Wisteria sinensis

Notes

1. The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range.

References

1. Martin C. Townsend, Jon Clifton and Brian Goodey (2010). British and Irish Moths: An Illustrated Guide to Selected Difficult Species. (covering the use of genitalia characters and other features) Butterfly Conservation.
2. Robinson, Gaden S.; Ackery, Phillip R.; Kitching, Ian J.; Beccaloni, George W.; Hernández, Luis M. (2010). "Search the database - introduction and help". HOSTS - A Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants. Natural History Museum, London.

• Chinery, Michael (1991). Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe.
• Skinner, Bernard (1984). The Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles.

External links

• Kimber, Ian. "73.063 BF2298 Svensson's Copper Underwing Amphipyra berbera Fletcher, 1968". UKMoths. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
• Fauna Europaea
• Savela, Markku (28 July 2019). "Amphipyra berbera Rungs, 1949". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved 23 October 2019. Taxonomy
• Lepiforum e.V. Includes photo of genitalia.