Notodontidae : Cerurinae
Puss Moth
CERURA (Cerura) vinula (Linnaeus, 1758)
Puss Moth
CERURA (Cerura) vinula (Linnaeus, 1758)
Kind permission - © Tim Norriss
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: Male - 45-65mm Female - 50-75mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - excluding (Azores,Balearic Is.,Canary Is.,Crete,Cyprus,Madeira,Malta & Portugal) : eastwards to China
UK Distribution: British Isles less Shetland - Common and fairly frequent : Upland areas - less frequent : Ireland - most frequent on coast : Northern Ireland - well distributed : Channel Isles - local and rare
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Open Woodland : Gardens : Moorland : Hedgerows
Similar Species -
Feline - Cerura erminea - (Esper, 1783) - rare immigrant
Larva: The 65mmm final instar larva is green with a brown "saddle" marking dorsally which is edged white.Anal claspers are modified to thin rearward pointed thin structures from which "red whips" extrude when alarmed.Head is brown and black surrounded by a red "frame".
Pupa: Pupates in a very hard cocoon which incorporates chewed wood by the larva and is spun up on a tree truk or post.
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: The thorax,abdomen and legs are covered in a whitish grey "fur" which is "cat or puss like,with a number of smallish black spots on the thorax and base of the forewing.Thin greyish lines give a "contour" map appearance over two thirds of the forewing.
The female is generally larger than the male and differs by having grey hindwing and sometimes forewing.
The moth is attracted to light in small numbers and generally are found adjacent to the trap.
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - excluding (Azores,Balearic Is.,Canary Is.,Crete,Cyprus,Madeira,Malta & Portugal) : eastwards to China
UK Distribution: British Isles less Shetland - Common and fairly frequent : Upland areas - less frequent : Ireland - most frequent on coast : Northern Ireland - well distributed : Channel Isles - local and rare
UK Conservation Status -
- Common = > 300 10km squares
- Least Concern
- Phalaena vinula Linnaeus, 1758
- Phalaena vinula Linnaeus, 1758
- Europe
Habitat: Open Woodland : Gardens : Moorland : Hedgerows
Similar Species -
Feline - Cerura erminea - (Esper, 1783) - rare immigrant
Larva: The 65mmm final instar larva is green with a brown "saddle" marking dorsally which is edged white.Anal claspers are modified to thin rearward pointed thin structures from which "red whips" extrude when alarmed.Head is brown and black surrounded by a red "frame".
Pupa: Pupates in a very hard cocoon which incorporates chewed wood by the larva and is spun up on a tree truk or post.
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: The thorax,abdomen and legs are covered in a whitish grey "fur" which is "cat or puss like,with a number of smallish black spots on the thorax and base of the forewing.Thin greyish lines give a "contour" map appearance over two thirds of the forewing.
The female is generally larger than the male and differs by having grey hindwing and sometimes forewing.
The moth is attracted to light in small numbers and generally are found adjacent to the trap.
Photo Gallery
Larva
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.
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.
- Rosaceae - The Rose Family
- Malus pumila - Paradise Apple
- Salicaceae - Willow Family
- Populus alba - White Poplar
- Populus balsamifera - Balsam Poplar
- Populus laurifolia - Laurel-leaf Poplar
- Populus nigra - Black Poplar - Lombardy Poplar (ssp italia)
- Populus suaveolens - Mongolian Poplar
- Populus tremula - Aspen Poplar
- Salix alba - White Willow
- Salix babylonica - Weeping Willow
- Salix caprea - Goat Willow
- Salix cinerea - Grey Willow
- Salix fragilis - Crack Willow
- Salix lapponum - Downy Willow/Lapland Willow
- Salix myrsinifolia - Dark-leaved Willow
- Salix pentandra - Bay Willow
- Salix phylicifolia - Tealeaf Willow
- Salix viminalis - Osier
Larval Food Plants
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Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Genus: Subgenus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species CERURA: Original Species Name: Species Names: Genus Names: Nominotypical Subspecies: Literary Ref: Type Locality: Subspecies: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Noctuoidea Notodontidae Cerurinae CERURA Schrank 1802 Cerura Schrank 1802 Cerura (Cerura) vinula (Linnaeus, 1758) - Phalaena vinula Linnaeus, 1758 - PHALENA vinula Linnaeus, 1758 = Bombyx phantoma Dalman, 1823 = gnoma (Fabricius, 1777) = diuramajor (Retzius, 1783) - CERURA Schrank, 1802 = Dicranura auct. nec Reichenbach, 1817 Cerura Schrank, 1802 - Phalaena vinula vinula Linnaeus, 1758 - Syst. Nat. (Edn 10) 1 : Title page : p.499- n. 16 - Europe - C.v.phantoma (Dalman, 1823) - northern Europe - dark,almost black C.v.arctica Zetterstedt, 1839 -lighter coloured C.v.benderi Lattin, Becker & Roesler 1974 C.v.estonica Huene 1905 C.v.vinula (Linnaeus, 1758) - nominate subspecies |