66.002 : 1632 : 6731
Lasiocampidae : Poecilocampinae

Pale Eggar

TRICHIURA crataegi (Linnaeus, 1758)
Picture
Kind permission - © Tim Norriss
Life Cycle Guide
Picture
Description

Wingspan: 33 - 40mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - ( Excluding - Azores,Balearic Is.,Canary Is.,Corsica,Crete,Cyprus,Madeira,S Spain,Malta & Sardinia) : Europe - Turkey
UK Distribution: England - well distributed north into Yorkshire but declining in Midlands ans south east : Wales - local : mainland Scotland - widespread : Ireland - local
UK Conservation Status -
  • NERC S.41 : 2008 (England) & NERC S.42 : 2009 (Wales) - Species "of principle importance for the purpose of conserving biodiversity"
  • Northern Ireland : 2010 - Priority Species
  • BAP : 2007 - Priority Species
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name -
  • Phalaena crataegi (Linnaeus, 1758)
Type Species - Trichiura
  • Phalaena crataegi (Linnaeus, 1758)
Type Locality -
  • Europe
Flight Period: August - September - univoltine
Habitat: Open Woodland : Hedgerows : Heathland : Moorland : Scrub : Gardens
Similar Species -
  • None
Larva: The 43mm final instar larva is blackish brown with orange brown dashes along the spiracular line.The dorsal area line is blackish with brown spots either side on each segment and white wide subdorsal lines which triangulate at each segment.Body covered in brownish long thin hairs.
Pupa: Pupates among dead leaves on the ground
Overwinters as: Ovum or second year as fully grown larva (upland areas of Scotland
Observations: The Pale Eggar is a species of conservation concern under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan for England,Wales and Ireland although the moth has largely recovered from a drop in population through the 1990's.
As the name suggests the moth is the only pale grey eggar moth found in the British Isles with clearly marked median lines which are black or dark grey and wavy with darker grey median area and less clear subterminal line.There is also no dark central spot common in other eggar moths.
The female is duller and slightly brownish.
Attracted to light,sometimes in decent numbers.
Photo Gallery
Larval Food Plants 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.
Larval Food Plants
Taxonomy
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Type Species - TRICHIURA:

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Forms:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Lasiocampoidea
Lasiocampidae
Poecilocampinae
Pocilocampini
TRICHIURA Stephens 1828
Trichiura crataegi (Linnaeus, 1758)
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Phalena crataegi (Linnaeus, 1758)
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PHALAENA crataegi (Linnaeus, 1758)
= Trichiura ariae Hübner, 1824
= Phalaena crataegi Linnaeus, 1758
= vallisincola Daniel, 1956
= griseotincta Daniel, 1956
= albicans Daniel, 1956
= Gastropacha arbusculae Paffenzeller, 1860
= Trichiura ariae Hübner 1800/18
= Trichiura avellanae Fabricius 1787
= Bombyx bicaudata Retzius, 1783
= Trichiura castiliana Spuler 1908
= Trichiura confluens Feichenberger 1962
= Trichiura defasciata Lempke 1937
= Bombyx floccosa Clerck, 1759
= Trichiura freyeri Tutt 1900
= Bombyx mali Fabricius, 1787
= Trichiura pallida Tutt 1900
= Trichiura pallida Daniel 1956
= Bombyx pallidus Haworth, 1803
= Trichiura passini Boursin 1957
= Trichiura unicolor Feichenberger 1962
= Noctua vitisideae Linnaeus, 1761
= Phalaena sylvina Fuessly, 1779
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Phalaena crataegi crataegi (Linnaeus, 1758)
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Syst. Nat. (Edn 10) 1 : Title page : p.502 - n.30
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Europe
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T.c.crataegi (Linnaeus, 1758) - nominate subspecies
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T.c.f.pallida Tutt, 1900 - background grey-white
T.c.f.ariae Hubner, 1824 - background shaded darker - most frequent in Alps