Erebidae : Lymantriinae
Dark Tussock
DICALLOMERA fascelina (Linnaeus, 1758)
Dark Tussock
DICALLOMERA fascelina (Linnaeus, 1758)
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 40 - 53mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - less (Channel Isles,S Russia & Mediterranean Islands) : C.Asia : Korea
UK Distribution: Distributed in S England,parts of N England,Central Scotland,parts of Ireland
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Heathland : Moorland : Coastal sand - dunes
Similar Species -
None - unmistakeable
Larva: The 45mm final instar larva is black covered with yellow hairs apart from segments 4th to 7th which have black tipped white tufts of bristles dorsally.
Pupa: Pupates in a cocoon spun on vegetation.
Overwinters as: Larva
Observations: Typically on both the Pale and Dark Tussocks the resting posture is the same with very hairy front legs positioned forward.
The two moths have different flight periods apart from a slight overlap in July making it unlikely the two species can be confused.
The moth forewing is usually, as by name dark, with black speckles all over.
Both median lines are clearly defined in black with small orange markings from basal area to the postmedian line.Dark forms of the moth are usually occur in northern England and Scotland with the lightest being in southern England.
Moth is attracted to light.
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - less (Channel Isles,S Russia & Mediterranean Islands) : C.Asia : Korea
UK Distribution: Distributed in S England,parts of N England,Central Scotland,parts of Ireland
UK Conservation Status -
- Local = 101 - 300 10km squares
- Least Concern
- Phalaena (Bombyx) fascelina Linnaeus, 1758
- Phalaena fascelina Linnaeus, 1758
- (Europe)
Habitat: Heathland : Moorland : Coastal sand - dunes
Similar Species -
None - unmistakeable
Larva: The 45mm final instar larva is black covered with yellow hairs apart from segments 4th to 7th which have black tipped white tufts of bristles dorsally.
Pupa: Pupates in a cocoon spun on vegetation.
Overwinters as: Larva
Observations: Typically on both the Pale and Dark Tussocks the resting posture is the same with very hairy front legs positioned forward.
The two moths have different flight periods apart from a slight overlap in July making it unlikely the two species can be confused.
The moth forewing is usually, as by name dark, with black speckles all over.
Both median lines are clearly defined in black with small orange markings from basal area to the postmedian line.Dark forms of the moth are usually occur in northern England and Scotland with the lightest being in southern England.
Moth is attracted to light.
Photo Gallery
Larva
Laval 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.
- Asteraceae - Compositae - Aster-Daisy - Sunflower Family
- Achillea millefolium - Yarrow
- Betulaceae - Birch Family
- Betula nana - Dwarf Birch
- Betula pendula - Silver Birch
- Betula pubescens - Downy Birch
- Corylus avellana - Hazel
- Brassicaceae - Mustards - Mustard Flowers - Cabbage Family
- Aurinia saxatilis - Golden Alyssum
- Elaeagnaceae - Oleaster Family
- Hippophae rhamnoides - Sea Buckthorn
- Ericaceae - Heather Family
- Andromeda polifolia - Marsh Andromeda
- Calluna vulgaris - Common Heather
- Vaccinium myrtilus - Bilberry - Blue Whortleberry
- Vaccinium vitis-idaea - Cowberry
- Vaccinium uliginosum - Bog Bilberry - Northern Bilberry
- Fabaceae - Leguminosea - The Pulse - Bean - Pea - Legume Family
- Astragalis onobrychis - False Sainfoin
- Cytisus scoparius - Broom - Scotch Broom
- Hippocrepis comosa - Horseshoe Vetch
- Lotus corniculatus - Bird's-foot Trefoil - Common Bird's-foot Trefoil
- Medicago sativa - Alfalfa
- Melilotus officinalis - Yellow Sweet Clover - Yellow Melilot
- Oxytropis halleri - Purple Oxytropis
- Onobrychis vicifolia - Sainfoin
- Vicia cracca - Tufted Vetch
- Lamiaceae - Labiatae - The Mint Family
- Salvia pratensis - Meadow Clary
- Polygonaceae - Docks - Sorrels - Knotweeds - Smartweeds
- Polygonum bistorta - Commom Bistort
- Rumex crispus - Curled Dock
- Rosaceae - Rose Family
- Crataegus monogyna - Hawthorn
- Fragaria vesca - Wild Strawberry
- Malus pumila - Paradise Apple
- Prunus domestica - Bullace - Plum
- Prunus padus - Bird Cherry - Hackberry
- Prunus spinosa - Blackthorn - Sloe (Britain)
- Rubus fruticosus - Bramble - Blackberry
- Rubus idaeus - Raspberry - Framboise
- Sorbus aucuparia - Mountain Ash - Rowan
- Salicaceae - Willow Family
- Populus tremula - Aspen Poplar
- Salix aurita - Eared Sallow
- Salix caprea - Goat Willow
- Salix cinerea - Grey Willow
- Salix phylicifolia - Tealeaf Willow
- Salix repens - Creeping Willow
Larval Food Plants
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Taxonomy
Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Tribe: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species DICALLOMERA: Original Species Name: Species Names: Nominotypical Subspecies: Literary Ref: Type Locality: Subspecies: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Noctuoidea Erebidae Lymantriinae Orgyiini DICALLOMERA Butler,1881 Dicallomera fascelina (Linnaeus, 1758) - Phalaena fascelina Linnaeus, 1758 - PHALAENA (Bombyx) fascelina Linnaeus, 1758 = Orgyia obscura Zetterstedt, 1839 = Gluphisia(?) conspersa Walker, 1865 = Dasychira nivalis Staudinger, 1887 = Dasychira fascelina angelus Tschetverikov, 1904 = Dasychira caucasica Sheljuzhko, 1918 = alpina Kitt, 1926 = nigrotecta Dannehl, 1929 = motojondensis (Bryk, 1949) = fischeri Daniel, 1952 = Olene fascelina iberica Agenjo, 1957 = brevipennis (Hoffmeyer, 1958) = tristrigata (Lempke, 1959) = Dasychira fascelina salangi Ebert, 1968 - Phalaena fascelina fascelina Linnaeus, 1758 - Syst. Nat. (Edn 10) 1 : Title page : p.503 - n.36 - (Europe) - D. f. danieli (de Freina, 1979) |