73.008 : 2428 : 9088
Noctuidae : Plusiinae

Golden Twin-spot

CHRYSODEIXIS chalcites (Esper,[1803])
Picture
Kind permission - © Tim Norriss
Life Cycle Guide - Adult - Europe
Picture
Description
 Wingspan: 33-44mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - less Channel Isles,Estonia,Finland,Ireland,Latvia,Lithuania,Luxembourg,Norway,Poland,central - east and northern Russia  & Slovakia : Tropical Africa : South Asia : Resident in southern Europe,North Africa and the Canary Islands
UK Distribution: An immigrant arriving from southern Europe, it is normally recorded along the south and south - west coasts although seen as far north as Perthshire & Inverness-shire.Usually several reported each year.
UK Conservation Status -
  • Migrant
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name -
  • Phalaena (Noctua) chalcites Esper, 1789
Type Species - Chrysodeixis
  • Phalaena chalcites Esper, 1789
Type Locality -
  • Italy
Flight Period: Great Britain immigrant appearing July - November
Habitat: Gardens : Parks : Farmland : Coastal sites
Similar Species -
  • Tunbridge Wells Gem - Chrysodeixis acuta - (Walker, 1857)
Larva: The 38mm final instar larva are either pale yellowish green or off white with thin white dorsal line with three narrow lines either side.Spiracular line is green edged with white stripe. Spiracles highlighted in black.Head glossy green.Slight hump dorsally above the anal prolegs.
Pupa: Pupal stage in cocoon takes about a fortnight.
Observations: An immigrant from southern Europe with over 140 records to date with the highest number appearing in the 1990's, this moth usually appears on the south and south-west coasts although recorded as far north as Scotland.It is a resident of southern Europe,north Africa and the Canary Islands and pupae have arrived in this country through imported plants from these areas.
Although similar to the Tunbridge Wells Gem this moth has black tufts on the underside of the abdomen,the apex is less pointed and the silver spots in the centre of the forewing are smaller.

The larvae are polyphageous feeding from a wide range of plant material iwhich makes it a pest in some parts of Europe.

Visits flowers of Ivy and Red Valerian after dusk and is attracted to light.
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 - CHRYSODEIXIS:

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Type Locality:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Noctuoidea
Noctuidae
Plusiinae
Argyrogrammatini
CHRYSODEIXIS Hübner[1821]
Chrysodeixis chalcites (Esper,[1803])
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Phalaena chalcites Esper, 1789
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PHALAENA (Noctua) chalcites Esper, 1789
= Phalaena chalsytis Hübner, 1790
= Noctua bengalensis Rossi, 1794
= Noctua quaestionis Fabricius, 1794
= Plusia buchholzi Plötz, 1880
= Chrysodeixis (Chrysodeixis) chalcites
= chalcytes auct - Misspelling
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Die Schmetterlinge in Abbildungen nach der Natur, Th. IV, Bd. 1 (39):
 pl. CXL1 - f.3 - Noct 62
Die Schmetterlinge in Abbildungen nach der Natur., Th. IV, Bd. 2 (Abs. 1) (49-50) :  Title Page :  p.447
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Italy