Notodontidae : Notodontinae
Pale Prominent
PTEROSTOMA palpina (Clerck,1759)
Pale Prominent
PTEROSTOMA palpina (Clerck,1759)
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 35-55mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe : Central Asia - Amur : Turkey : Iran
UK Distribution: South of Humber & Wales - fairly frequent : Further north and mainland Scotland - local : Ireland - widespread : Channel Isles - Jersey - occasional - Guernsey, Alderney & Sark - rare
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Woodland : Scrub : Gardens
Similar Species -
None
Larva: The 40mm green final instar larva when viewed from the side has a yellow lateral line edged on the top in a fine dark line, both of which run through the spiracles.Viewed from above there are two parallel lateral lines either side of the centre with two thinner lateral lines running outside of these lines.
Pupa: Pupates during the winter in a cocoon located beneath the larval food plant or just below the soil
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: This moth is easily recognised with the large upturned palps and the divided tufted tail (see photo 2) on the long abdomen of the male. With tufts behind the thorax and at the tornus,plus a termen that is often scalloped or dentate the moth is unmistakeable. Venation is clearly highlighted in black and median cross lines are made up of black dots the postmedial line showing clearer than the antemedial line. A black shaded band across the median area lines up with the tuft behind the thorax.
The male (shown below) has a strongly marked feathered antennae but the female antennae is less so.
The male of the species is attracted to light but the female is seldom seen at the moth trap.
Worldwide Distribution: Europe : Central Asia - Amur : Turkey : Iran
UK Distribution: South of Humber & Wales - fairly frequent : Further north and mainland Scotland - local : Ireland - widespread : Channel Isles - Jersey - occasional - Guernsey, Alderney & Sark - rare
UK Conservation Status -
- Common = > 300 10Km squares
- Least Concern
- Phalaena palpina (Clerck, 1759)
- Pterostoma salacis Germar, 1812
- Not given on original publication
Habitat: Woodland : Scrub : Gardens
Similar Species -
None
Larva: The 40mm green final instar larva when viewed from the side has a yellow lateral line edged on the top in a fine dark line, both of which run through the spiracles.Viewed from above there are two parallel lateral lines either side of the centre with two thinner lateral lines running outside of these lines.
Pupa: Pupates during the winter in a cocoon located beneath the larval food plant or just below the soil
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: This moth is easily recognised with the large upturned palps and the divided tufted tail (see photo 2) on the long abdomen of the male. With tufts behind the thorax and at the tornus,plus a termen that is often scalloped or dentate the moth is unmistakeable. Venation is clearly highlighted in black and median cross lines are made up of black dots the postmedial line showing clearer than the antemedial line. A black shaded band across the median area lines up with the tuft behind the thorax.
The male (shown below) has a strongly marked feathered antennae but the female antennae is less so.
The male of the species is attracted to light but the female is seldom seen at the moth trap.
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
- Laburnum anagyroides - Laburnam - Golden Chain Tree
- Salicaceae - Willow Family
- Populus balsamifera - Balsam Poplar
- Populus nigra - Black Poplar - Lombardy Poplar
- Populus tremula - Aspen Poplar
- Salix aurita - Eared Sallow
- Salix babylonica - Weeping Willow
- Salix caprea - Goat Willow
- Salix cinerea - Grey Willow
- Salix elaeagnos - Rosemary-leaved Willow - Olive Willow
- Salix pulchra - Tealeaf Willow
- Salix purpurea - Purple Osier
- Salix repens - Creeping Willow
- Salix viminalis - Osier
Larval Food Plants
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Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Tribe: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species - PTEROSTOMA: Original Species Name: Species Names: Nominotypical Subspecies: Literary Ref: Type Locality: Forms: Subspecies: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Noctuoidea Notodontidae Notodontinae Notodontini PTERSTOMA Germar, 1812 Pterostoma palpina (Clerck, 1759) - Pterostoma salacis Germar, 1812 - PHALAENA palpina (Clerck, 1759) = Euchila palpina = Pterostoma palpinum (Clerck, 1759) = grisea Kitt, 1914 = brunneum Heinrich, 1938 = Pterostoma salicis Germar, 1812 = Pterostoma tachengensis Cai, 1979 - Phalaena palpina palpina (Clerck, 1759) - Icones insectorum rariorum cum nomibus eorum trivialibus, locique e C. Linnæi. - pp. [1-10], Tab. 1-16. Holmiæ : Title Page : pl.9, fig.8 - Not given in original publication - P.p.f.grisea Kitt, 1914 - lighter tone P.p.f.brunnea Heinrich,1938 - darker tone - P.p.lapponica Teich, 1881 - Lapland - dark grey-brown P.p.palpina (Clerck, 1759) - nomonate subspecies P.p.ponticum (Staudinger & Rebel, 1901) |