Pterophoridae : Pterophorinae
Spotted White Plume
PORRITTIA galactodactyla ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
Spotted White Plume
PORRITTIA galactodactyla ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 20-25mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - excluding (Azores,Balearic Is.,Belgium,Bulgaria,Canary Is.,Channel Is.,Corsica,Crete,Cyprus,Estonia,Greece,
Croatia,Ireland,Lithuania,Luxembourg,Madeira,Norway,Portugal,Sardinia,Sicily,Slovenia,Spain,Switzerland & Ukraine)
UK Distribution: Local throughout southern England and southern Wales
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Woodland : Dry Grassland
Similar Species -
Pupa: Pupates on underside of leaf next to midrib.
Overwinters as: Larva
Observations: Seldom seen as an adult, the species is best found in the larval stage where tell tale numerous holes can be found in the large leaves of the Lesser or Greater Burdock,the larva usually being found on the underside of the leaf against a leaf vein as seen below.
The cleft in the pale forewing occurs at about 60% from base and has a backward facing tapering rear lobe,with a pairs of small black dots at the base of the cleft and a single black dot at one third and a further black dot on the costa at two thirds.
The moth flies at dusk and after dark and occasionally comes to light.
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - excluding (Azores,Balearic Is.,Belgium,Bulgaria,Canary Is.,Channel Is.,Corsica,Crete,Cyprus,Estonia,Greece,
Croatia,Ireland,Lithuania,Luxembourg,Madeira,Norway,Portugal,Sardinia,Sicily,Slovenia,Spain,Switzerland & Ukraine)
UK Distribution: Local throughout southern England and southern Wales
UK Conservation Status -
- Nationally Scarce B (Nb - BAP : 1997) = 31 - 100 10Km Squares
- Least Concern
- Phalaena Alucita galactodactyla Schiffermüller, 1775
- Alucita galactodactyla Schiffermüller, 1775
- Austria - near Vienna
Habitat: Woodland : Dry Grassland
Similar Species -
- None
Pupa: Pupates on underside of leaf next to midrib.
Overwinters as: Larva
Observations: Seldom seen as an adult, the species is best found in the larval stage where tell tale numerous holes can be found in the large leaves of the Lesser or Greater Burdock,the larva usually being found on the underside of the leaf against a leaf vein as seen below.
The cleft in the pale forewing occurs at about 60% from base and has a backward facing tapering rear lobe,with a pairs of small black dots at the base of the cleft and a single black dot at one third and a further black dot on the costa at two thirds.
The moth flies at dusk and after dark and occasionally comes to light.
Photo Gallery
Larvae
Predation
Predation is common place in any environmental situation, and losses will always happen, and in this case a larva is
being dispatched by a Nabis rugosus - Common Damsel Bug
Predation is common place in any environmental situation, and losses will always happen, and in this case a larva is
being dispatched by a Nabis rugosus - Common Damsel Bug
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.
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
- Arctium lappa - Greater Burdock - Gobo
- Arctium minus - Lesser Burdock
- Arctium lappa - Greater Burdock - Gobo
Larval Food Plants
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Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species-PORRITTIA: Original Species Name: Literary Ref: Type Locality: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Pterophoroidea Pterophoridae Pterophorinae PORRITTIA Tutt 1905 Porrittia galactodactyla ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) - Alucita galactodactyla Schiffermüller, 1775 - PHALAENA (Alucita) galactodactyla ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) - Ankündung eines systematischen Werkes von den Schmetterlingen der Wienergegend : Title Page : p.320 - n 14 - Austria - near Vienna |