66.008 : 1638 : 6755
Lasiocampidae : Lasiocampinae

Fox Moth

MACROTHYLACIA rubi (Linnaeus, 1758)
Picture
Life Cycle Guide
Picture
Description
Wingspan: Male - 55 - 65  Female 55 - 75mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - ( Excluding - Azores,Balearic Is.,Canary Is.,Crete,Cyprus,Madeira,Malta & Sardinia) : Europe to central Asia
UK Distribution: Widely distributed throughout most of the British Isles including Isle of Man : Ireland - mainly in the north and west  : Channel Isles  - widespread and infrequent
UK Conservation Status -
  • Common = > 300 10km squares
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name -
  • Phalaena rubi Linnaeus, 1758
Type Species - Macrothylacia
  • Phalaena rubi Linnaeus, 1758
Type Locality -
  • Europe
Flight Period: Southern England - May - July - Univoltine : Elsewhere May - June
Habitat: Heathland : Moorland : Downland : Damp Meadows : Coastal Grassland : Sand Dunes : Open Woodland
Similar Species -
  • Separated from "Eggars" by missing forewing spot.
Larva: The 70mm final instar larva is densely covered in long dark brown hairs except dorsally, where the hairs are shorter and reddish brown with greyish hairs along sides.
Pupa: Pupates in long cocoon near the ground
Overwinters as: Larva
Observations: An easily identified moth by its predominately large size with two parallel forewing yellowish white cross lines against a plain brown background with no wings spots.The male is smaller than the female with reddish brown forewings whereas the female has grey brown forewings.
Fox moths recorded in northern areas are generally darker,leaning more to grey tones.
Like most of the Eggar moths the male is a daytime rapid flyer and is sometimes attracted to the light whereas the female is nocturnal and is frequent seen at light.
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.
Larval Food Plants
Taxonomy
Kingdom:
Subkingdom:
Phylum:
Subphylum:
Class:
Order:
Superfamily:
Family:
Subfamily:
Tribe:
Genus:
Accepted Species Name:

Type Species - MACROTHYLACIA:

Original Species Name:
Species Names:





























Literary Ref:

Type Locality:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Lasiocampoidea
Lasiocampidae
Lasiocampinae
Macrothylaciini
MACROTHYLACIA Rambur 1866
Macrothylacia rubi (Linnaeus, 1758)
-
Phalaena rubi Linnaeus, 1758
-
PHALAENA rubi (Linnaeus, 1758)
= pygmaea Reuter, 1893
= Macrothylacia alfacaria Ribbe 1910
= Macrothylacia approximata Tutt 1902
= Macrothylacia approximata Berge 1910
= Macrothylacia basigrisea Lempke 1960
= Macrothylacia beyeri Linstow 1911
= Macrothylacia bicolor Lempke 1960
= Macrothylacia brevipennis Cockayne 1951
= Macrothylacia brunnea Lempke 1937
= Macrothylacia conjuncta Tutt 1902
= Macrothylacia conjuncta Closs 1917
= Macrothylacia dissimilis Tutt 1902
= Macrothylacia fasciata Tutt 1902
= Macrothylacia ferruginea Tutt 1902
= Macrothylacia grisea Tutt 1902
= Macrothylacia monogrammica Cockayne 1951
= Macrothylacia montana Bergmann 1953
= Macrothylacia obsoleta Tutt 1902
= Macrothylacia pallida Tutt 1902
= Macrothylacia pallida Thierry-Mieg 1910
= Macrothylacia pallidior Cockayne 1951
= Macrothylacia pygmaea Reuter 1893
= Macrothylacia rufa Tutt 1902
= Macrothylacia separata Tutt 1902
= Macrothylacia suffusa Closs & Hannemann 1917
= Macrothylacia transfuga Krulikovski 1908
= Macrothylacia unilinea Tutt 1902
= Macrothylacia virgata Rebel 1910
= Macrothylacia virgata Tutt 1902
-
Syst. Nat. (Edn 10) 1 : Title page : p.498 - n.14
-
Europe