73.001 : 2450 : 9091
Noctuidae : Plusiinae

The Spectacle

ABROSTOLA tripartita (Hufnagel, 1766)
Picture
Life Cycle Guide
Picture
Description
Wingspan: 27-30mm
Worldwide Distribution:  Europe : Siberia : Russia : Amur : Kyrgyzstan : Kazakhstan.
UK Distribution: Widespread and frequent throughout Great Britain,Ireland & Isle of Man : Channel Isles-Jersey-Widespread and frequent-Guernsey-occsasional
UK Conservation Status -
  • Common = >300 10Km Squares
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name -
  • Phalaena tripartita Hufnagel, 1766
Type Species - Abrostola
  • Phalaena triplasia (Linnaeus, 1758)
Type Locality -
  • Not Specified
Flight Period: South-Early April to late July & Late July to mid September-two generations : Elsewhere-Late May to mid July-single generation
Habitat: Gardens : Hedgerows : Open Woodland : Rough Pasture
Similar Species -
  • Dark Spectacle Abrostola triplasia (Linnaeus, 1758)
Larva: The ground colour of the larva is green and from the side a white lateral line intersects the spiracles. The body appears arched between the walking legs and the prolegs. Viewed on top-there are white markings which form a chevron type appearance.
Pupa: The pupa is formed amongst plant debris or low down behind bark
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: The similar species Dark Spectacle A.triplasia has a ground colour of brownish black and the base of the forewing is straw coloured and the cross-lines are adged in reddish brown.

There are no prizes for guessing how the moth common name was derived and photo 1 below clearly shows the moth wearing glasses, an amazing sight.

The moth is a regular visitor to the light trap,feeds on flowers and flies from dusk.
Photo Gallery
Larval Food Plant Worldwide
Note - Plants hyperlinked in red below take the visitor to the relevant plant page on"Plants for a Future" website where further information like photos,physical characteristics,habitats,edible uses,medicinal uses,cultivation,propagation,range,height etc. are clearly listed.
  • Plant Families - in bold red below takes the visitor to the relevant "Lepi-plants" page where other butterflies & moths using the plants below are listed.
Urticaeae - Nettle Family
Larval Food Plants
Taxonomy
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Type Species - ABROSTOLA:

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Literary Ref:

Type Locality:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Noctuoidea
Noctuidae
Plusiinae
Abrostolini
ABROSTOLA Ochsenheimer 1816
Abrostola tripartita (Hufnagel, 1766)
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Phalaena triplasia (Linnaeus, 1758)
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PHALAENA tripartita (Hufnagel, 1766)
= Noctua urticae Hübner, 1817
= Phalaena (noctua) triplasia Linnaeus, 1758
= Abrostola trigemina Werneburg 1864
= Abrostola triplasia Linnaeus 1758
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Berlin. Magazin. 3 (4): Title Page : p. 414 - n.95
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Not Specified