Notondontidae : Notondontinae
Lunar Marbled Brown
DRYMONIA ruficornis (Hufnagel, 1766)
Lunar Marbled Brown
DRYMONIA ruficornis (Hufnagel, 1766)
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 35 - 40mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe(Spain and Portugal to British Isles, to Scandinavia,Italy and The Balkans) to Armenia : Middle East : North Africa
UK Distribution: England to midlands and southern Wales - Well distributed : England from midlands to mainland Scotland - local : Ireland - widespread
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Oak woodlands : Forests
Similar Species -
Pupa: Pupates just below ground near food plant roots.
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: This grey and white moth has a clearly defined crescent shaped discal spots adjacent to the costa on the median area just above a broad white cross line or alternatively white bands.
The basal area varies between dark and light grey and the median area is clearly defined by antemedian and postmedian grey wavy cross lines.
The similar species Marbled Brown Drymonia dodonaea is lacking the crescent shaped discal spots with less distinct cross lines and is not on the wing until late may.
The moth is attracted to light and can be found at the moth trap in low numbers.
Worldwide Distribution: Europe(Spain and Portugal to British Isles, to Scandinavia,Italy and The Balkans) to Armenia : Middle East : North Africa
UK Distribution: England to midlands and southern Wales - Well distributed : England from midlands to mainland Scotland - local : Ireland - widespread
UK Conservation Status -
- Common = >300 10Km Squares
- Least Concern
- Bombyx ruficornis (Hufnagel, 1766)
- Bombyx dodonaea ([Denis & Schiffermüller],1775)
- 'An den Blättern der Eichen' -'at the leaves of the Oaks'
Habitat: Oak woodlands : Forests
Similar Species -
- Marbled Brown Drymonia dodonaea ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
Pupa: Pupates just below ground near food plant roots.
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: This grey and white moth has a clearly defined crescent shaped discal spots adjacent to the costa on the median area just above a broad white cross line or alternatively white bands.
The basal area varies between dark and light grey and the median area is clearly defined by antemedian and postmedian grey wavy cross lines.
The similar species Marbled Brown Drymonia dodonaea is lacking the crescent shaped discal spots with less distinct cross lines and is not on the wing until late may.
The moth is attracted to light and can be found at the moth trap in low 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.
- Fagaceae - Oak - Chestnut - Beech Family
- Quercus cerris - Turkey Oak
- Quercus petraea - Sessile Oak
- Quercus robur - Pedunculate Oak - Common Oak
Taxonomy
Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Tribe: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species - DRYMONIA: Original Species Name: Species Names: Literary Ref: Type Locality: Forms: Subspecies: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Noctuoidea Notondontidae Notondontinae Notodontini DRYMONIA Hübner 1819 Drymonia ruficornis (Hufnagel, 1766) - Bombyx dodonaea ([Denis & Schiffermüller],1775) - BOMBYX ruficornis (Hufnagel, 1766) = Bombyx confusa Hufnagel, 1767 = Bombyx chaonia (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) = Noctua roboris Fabricius, 1777 = Drymonia ruficornis grisea Turati, 1907 = Drymonia ruficornis vivida Zerny, 1927 = Drymonia ruficornis moghrebana Lucas, 1933 = Drymonia centralariae Gómez Bustillo, 1977 - Berlin. Magazin. 2 (4) : Title Page : p.424 n.XL111 - 'An den Blättern der Eichen' -'at the leaves of the Oaks' - D.r.f.lunula Grünberg, 1912 - black discal half moon in media area stands out suffused with whitish tone D.r.f.grisea Turati, 1907 - forewings suffused almost entirely in grey - D.r.ruficornis (Hufnagel, 1766) - nominate subspecies D.r.vivida Zerny, 1927 - Southern Spain & Morocco - dark markings accentuated D.r.anadolua de Freina 1983 |