72.009 : 2031 : 10,414
Erebidae : Lymantriinae

White Satin Moth

LEUCOMA salicis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Picture
Kind permission - © Tim Norriss
Life Cycle Guide
Picture
Description
Wingspan: 43-60mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - Less some Mediterranean Islands :  Central Asia : E.Asia : Japan : Morocco : North America - British Columbia, New England
UK Distribution: Southern England - In south, but most frequent in the South east and local in south west.Wales - frequent in east but but rare in west. Northern sightings possibly as result of migration.Channel Isles - rare immigrant.
UK Conservation Status -
  • Local = 101 - 300  10km squares
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name -
  • Phalaena (Bombyx) salicis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Type Species -
  • Phalaena salicis Linnaeus, 1758
Type Locality -
  • Not Specified
Flight Period: mid June - August
Habitat: Poplar Plantations : Willow Beds : Hedgerows : Scrub : Woodland Parks : Gardens
Similar Species -
  • None
Larva: The 45mm final instar larva is dark grey on the side and black dorsally with a row of white blotches along the dorsal line split by the segments with additional rows of red wart looking structures with bristles along the subdorsal and spiracular lines.
Pupa: Pupates in silk cocoon spun up on bark crevices on the host plant
Overwinters as: Larva
Observations: The moth is easily recognised with the white satin forewings which give this moth its name and a white abdomen. The main other feature for this moth are the legs which are intermittently white and black as seen in photo below.
Male has strongly feathered antennae which are black in the centre with white edges.

The moth is most frequent in the south east possibly due to added numbers from immigration.
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-LEUCOMA:

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Subspecies:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Noctuoidea
Erebidae
Lymantriinae
Leucomini
LEUCOMA Hübner 1822
Leucoma salicis (Linnaeus, 1758)
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Phalaena salicis Linnaeus, 1758
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PHALAENA (Bombyx) salicis (Linnaeus, 1758)
= Stilpnotia nigripennata Staudinger, [1900]
= Stilpnotia doii Matsumura, 1927
= Stilpnotia candida
= Candida salicis (Linnaeus, 1758)
= Stilpnotia salicis Linnaeus, 1758
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Syst. Nat. (Edn 10) 1 : Title Page : p.502 - n.29
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Not Specified
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L. s. salicis (Linnaeus, 1758)