Scarce Merveille du jour

Noctuidae : Acronictinae

Scarce Merveille du Jour

MOMA alpium (Osbeck, 1778)

Kind permission - © Tim Norriss

Life Cycle Guide

Description

Wingspan: 34 - 40mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - less ( Greece,Ireland,Norway,N Russia and all Mediterranean Islands) : Palearctic Ecozone
UK Distribution: Restricted to Hampshire - New Forest,Isle of Wight,west Sussex & Kentish Weald
UK Conservation Status -

RDB 3 ( 1980/93 ) =<15 10Km Squares

European Conservation Status -

Least Concern

Original Species Name -

Phalaena (Noctua) alpium (Osbeck, 1778)

Type Species - Moma

Noctua aprilina Linnaeus, sensu Hübner, 1803

Type Locality -

Sweden - Hasslöf

Flight Period: mid May - July
Habitat: Mature Oak Woodlands : Scrubby Oak
Similar Species -

Merveille du Jour - Griposia aprilina - (Linnaeus, 1758)

Larva: The beautiful 32mm final instar larva is black with with large yellowish - white dorsal patches on fourth,sixth and ninth segments. The other segments have reddish-orange pinacula with long grey setae and along the sides and another row of pinacula. The head is light brown marked with dark brown.
Pupa: Pupates in strong cocoon on the ground among leaf litter
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: This moth is very distinctive and is the only noctuid flying in the summer that is pale green,black and white . The black bars on the forewing are more prominent with the basal line and at intervals along the costa.
Although similar to its cousin the Merveille du Jour it does not fly within this moths flight period, flying in September to October.

The moth is attracted to light and sugar and is known to feed on aphid honeydew at night.

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.

Betulaceae - The Birch Family
- Betula pubescens - Downy Birch
- Betula pendula - Silver Birch
- Carpinus betulus - Hornbeam
Fagaceae - Oak - Chestnut - Beech Family
- Castanea crenata - Japanese Chestnut
- Fagus sylvatica - Beech
- Quercus acutissima - Sawthorn Oak
- Quercus cerris - Turkey Oak
- Quercus mongolica - Mongolian Oak
- Quercus petraea - Sessile Oak
- Quercus robur - Pedunculate Oak : Common Oak
- Quercus serrata - Korean Oak
- Quercus variabilis - Chinese Cork Oak
Hippocastanaceae - The Horse Chestnuts
- Aesculus hippocastanum - Horse Chestnut
Rosaceae - The Rose Family
- Malus domestica - Apple
- Prunus avium - Wild Cherry
- Sorbus aucuparia - Mountain Ash/Rowan
Salicaceae - Willow Family
- Populus nigra - Black Poplar/Lombardy Poplar

Larval Food Plants

Taxonomy

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Type Species - MOMA:

Original Species Name:
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Literary Ref:

Type Locality:

Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Noctuoidea
Noctuidae
Acronictinae
MOMA Hübner, [1820]
Moma alpium (Osbeck, 1778)
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Noctua aprilina Linnaeus, sensu Hübner, 1803
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PHALAENA (Noctua) alpium (Osbeck, 1778)
= Phalaena (Noctua) orion Esper, 1791
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Göthborgska Wetenskaps och Witterhets Samhället, p.1: 52, pl.1 - f. 2
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Sweden - Hasslöf