Erebidae : Lymantriinae
The Vapourer
ORGYIA (Orgyia) antiqua (Linnaeus, 1758)
The Vapourer
ORGYIA (Orgyia) antiqua (Linnaeus, 1758)
Description
Alternative Name: Rusty Tussock Moth
Wingspan: 25-30mm
Worldwide Distribution: Palaearctic & Nearctic Regions
UK Distribution: Common and well distributed throughout England,Wales,Isle of Man,Ireland and mainland Scotland
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Woodland : Gardens : Parks : Moorland : Heathland
Similar Species -
Pupa: Pupates in a silken cocoon
Overwinters as: Ovum-in batches on empty cocoon of female
Observations: This moth is probably best known by the avid lepidopterist out searching for the Brown Hairstreak in August.It often flies out from the bushes in a wild erratic twisting and turning flight that has one thinking at first its the butterfly quarry and then to be totally frustrated when the moth never lands, which is not surprising as the male is searching for females. I certainly have experienced this phenomenon on may occasions and know how frustrating this moth can be,which is why I was so thrilled when finding one in the moth trap in October.
The males are an inconspicuous brown with two clearly defined cross-lines in darker brown and two white spots behind the postmedial line.
The females of the species is flightless having virtually no wings whatsoever.
The moth, as described above,is a day flyer although occasionally they are attracted by the light of the moth trap.
Wingspan: 25-30mm
Worldwide Distribution: Palaearctic & Nearctic Regions
UK Distribution: Common and well distributed throughout England,Wales,Isle of Man,Ireland and mainland Scotland
UK Conservation Status -
- Common = >300 10Km Squares
- Least Concern
- Phalaena antiqua (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Phalaena antiqua (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Not specified-possibly Sweden
Habitat: Woodland : Gardens : Parks : Moorland : Heathland
Similar Species -
- Scarce Vapourer Orgyia recens Hübner, 1819
Pupa: Pupates in a silken cocoon
Overwinters as: Ovum-in batches on empty cocoon of female
Observations: This moth is probably best known by the avid lepidopterist out searching for the Brown Hairstreak in August.It often flies out from the bushes in a wild erratic twisting and turning flight that has one thinking at first its the butterfly quarry and then to be totally frustrated when the moth never lands, which is not surprising as the male is searching for females. I certainly have experienced this phenomenon on may occasions and know how frustrating this moth can be,which is why I was so thrilled when finding one in the moth trap in October.
The males are an inconspicuous brown with two clearly defined cross-lines in darker brown and two white spots behind the postmedial line.
The females of the species is flightless having virtually no wings whatsoever.
The moth, as described above,is a day flyer although occasionally they are attracted by the light of the moth trap.
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.
- Aceraceae - Maple Family
- Acer negundo - Box Elder
- Acer platanoides - Norway Maple
- Acer rubrum - Red Maple
- Acer saccharum - Sugar Maple
- Asteraceae - Compositae - Aster-Daisy - Sunflower Family
- Aster tripolium - Sea Aster
- Aster tripolium - Sea Aster
- Apiaceae - Umbelliferae - Umbellifer Family
- Angelica sylvestris - Wild Angelica
- Betulaceae - The Birch Family
- Alnus glutinosa - Alder
- Alnus incana - Grey Alder
- Alnus rubra - Red Alder
- Betula alleghaniensis - Yellow Birch
- Betula papyrifera - Paper Birch
- Betula pendula - Silver Birch
- Betula populifoli - Grey Birch
- Betula pubescens - Downy Birch - European White Birch
- Corylus americana - American Hazel
- Cannabidaceae - Hemp/Hop Family
- Humulus lupulus - Hop
- Cucurbitaceae - Melon - Squashes - Gourds Family
- Cucumis sativus - Cucumber
- Cupressaceae - Cypress Family
- Thuja occidentalis - American Arbor-Vitae
- Thuja plicata - Western Red Cedar
- Ericaceae - Heather Family
- Calluna vulgaris - Common Heather
- Vaccinium myrtilus - Bilberry - Blue Whortleberry
- Vaccinium vitis-idaea - Cowberry
- Fabaceae - Leguminosea - The Pulse - Bean - Pea - Legume Family
- Astragalus alpinus - Alpine Milk-vetch
- Caragana arborescens - Siberian Pea Tree
- Wisteria sinensis - Chinese Wisteria
- Fagaceae - Oak - Chestnut - Beech Family
- Fagus grandifolia - American Beech
- Quercus alba - White Oak
- Quercus robur - Pedunculate Oak - Common Oak
- Grossulariaceae - Currant Family
- Ribes nigrum - Blackcurrant
- Ribes sanguineum - Flowering Currant
- Oleceae - Mesophytic Shrubs - Trees - Vines
- Syringa vulgaris - Lilac
- Pinaceae - Pine Family
- Abies balsamea - Balsam Fir
- Abies lasiocarpa - Subalpine Fir
- Larix laricina - Tamarack
- Larix occidentalis - Western Larch
- Picea abies - Norway Spruce
- Picea glauca - White Spruce
- Picea pungens - Blue Spruce
- Picea mariana - Black Spruce
- Picea sitchensis - Sitka Spruce
- Pinus banksiana - Jack Pine
- Pinus contorta - Beach Pine
- Pinus engelmannii - Apache Pine
- Pinus strobus - White Pine
- Pseudotsuga menziesii - Douglas Fir
- Tsuga canadensis - Canadian Hemlock
- Tsuga heterophylla - Western Hemlock Spruce
- Plantaginaceae - Plantain Family
- Plantago major - Common Plantain
- Polygonaceae - Docks - Sorrels - Knotweeds - Smartweeds
- Rumex acetosella - Sheeps Sorrel
- Rhamnaceae - The Buckthorn Family
- Rhamnus frangula - Alder Buckthorn
- Rosaceae - The Rose Family
- Amelanchier alnifolia - Sascatoon
- Aster tripolium - Sea Aster
- Crataegus douglasii - Douglas Hawthorn
- Crataegus intricata - Copenhagen Hawthorn
- Cydonia oblonga - Quince
- Filipendula ulmaria - Meadowsweet
- Malus pumila - Paradise Apple
- Prunus armeniaca - Apricot
- Prunus domestica - Bullace - Plum
- Prunus pennsylvanica - Pin Cherry
- Prunus serotina - Rum Cherry-Wild Cherry
- Pyrus communis - Wild Pear
- Rubus allegheniensis - Alleghany Blackberry
- Rubus idaeus - Raspberry - Framboise
- Rubus ursinus - Pacific Dewberry
- Sorbus aucuparia - Mountain Ash - Rowan
- Sorbus americana - American Mountain Ash
- Spiraea alba - White Meadowsweet
- Salicaceae - Willow Family
- Populus balsamifera - Balsam Poplar
- Populus suaveolens - Mongolian Poplar
- Populus tremula - Aspen Poplar
- Populus tremuloides - American Aspen-Poplar
- Salix alba - White Willow
- Salix aurita - Eared Sallow
- Salix bebbiana - Beak - Bebb Willow
- Salix caprea - Goat Willow
- Salix hookeriana - Dune Willow
- Salix myrsinifolia - Dark-leaved Willow
- Salix phylicifolia - Tealeaf Willow
- Salix scouleriana - Scouler's Willow
- Saxifragaceae - Saxifrage Family
- Bergenia crassifolia - Siberian Tea
- Scrophulariaceae - Figwort Family
- Veronica longifolia - Garden Speedwell
- Ulmaceae - Elm Family
- Ulmus americana - American Elm
- Note - Larvae also feed on the following plant families
- Rosaceae - Pyracantha / Rosa - Rose
- Note - Larvae also feed on the following plant families
- Ulmus americana - American Elm
Larval Food Plants
|
|
|
Taxonomy
Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Tribe: Genus: Subgenus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species - ORGYIA: Original Species Name: Species Names: Literary Ref: Type Locality: Forms/Aberrations: Subspecies: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Noctuoidea Erebidae Lymantriinae Orgyiini ORGYIA Ochsenheimer 1810 Orgyia Ochsenheimer 1810 Orgyia (Orgyia) antiqua (Linnaeus, 1758) - Phalaena antiqua (Linnaeus, 1758) - PHALAENA antiqua (Linnaeus, 1758) = Phalaena paradoxa Retzius, 1783 = Orgyia confinis Grum-Grshimailo, 1891 = Orgyia zimmermanni Graeser, 1888 = Bombyx gonostigma Scopoli, 1763 - Syst. Nat. (Edn 10) 1 : Title page : p.503 - n.37 - Not Specified - O.a.f.infernalis Rebel, 1910-Sooty brown on most of forewing O.a.f.dilineata Lempke, 1959-cros-lines missing - O.a.nova Fitch, 1863-Newfoundland : Canada - to (Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Iowa, Montana, Idaho) O.a.badia H Edwards,1873-British Columbia - N.California O.a.argillacea Furguson, 1978-Alaska |