Noctuidae : Acronictinae
Alder Moth
ACRONICTA (Jocheaera) alni (Linnaeus, 1767)
Alder Moth
ACRONICTA (Jocheaera) alni (Linnaeus, 1767)
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 35-42mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - less Greece,Portugal,N Russia & most Mediterranean Islands : Caucasus : Urals : southern Siberia : Transbaikalia : Russian Far East : China : Japan : Korean Peninsula
UK Distribution: England & Wales - Thinly distributed : Ireland - widely distributed but local : SW Scotland & Isle of Man - recorded (MGBI)
UK Conservation Status:
Habitat: Broadleaved Woodland : Scrub
Similar Species -
Pupa: Pupate in a cocoon formed in rotten wood
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: This unusually marked moth is easy to identify with its blacking clouding which traverses along the body from the base as a black bar,extending outwards at the median area finishing at the terminal area as a long thick dagger mark. The subterminal line in fine black and waves across the forewing in the form of an extended "S".The black clouding varies considerably and in extreme cases entirely covers the forewing.The hindwing is white.
The moth is attracted to light
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - less Greece,Portugal,N Russia & most Mediterranean Islands : Caucasus : Urals : southern Siberia : Transbaikalia : Russian Far East : China : Japan : Korean Peninsula
UK Distribution: England & Wales - Thinly distributed : Ireland - widely distributed but local : SW Scotland & Isle of Man - recorded (MGBI)
UK Conservation Status:
- Local = 101 - 300 10km squares
- Least Concern
- Phalaena (Noctua) alni (Linnaeus, 1767)
- Phalana leporina (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Europe (LS London) - in Acere, Æsculo, Juglande (The Acer,Oak,Walnut)
Habitat: Broadleaved Woodland : Scrub
Similar Species -
- None
Pupa: Pupate in a cocoon formed in rotten wood
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: This unusually marked moth is easy to identify with its blacking clouding which traverses along the body from the base as a black bar,extending outwards at the median area finishing at the terminal area as a long thick dagger mark. The subterminal line in fine black and waves across the forewing in the form of an extended "S".The black clouding varies considerably and in extreme cases entirely covers the forewing.The hindwing is white.
The moth is attracted to light
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.
- Aceraceae - Maple Family
- Acer platanoides - Norway Maple
- Acer pseudoplatanus - Sycamore
- Betulaceae - The Birch Family
- Alnus glutinosa - Alder - Elder
- Alnus incana - Grey Alder
- Betula pendula - Silver Birch
- Betula pubescens - Downy Birch
- Corylus avellana - Hazel
- Ericaceae - Heather Family
- Vaccinium myrtilus - Bilberry - Blue Whortleberry
- Fagaceae - Oak - Chestnut - Beech Family
- Quercus robur - Pedunculate Oak - Common Oak
- Rosaceae - The Rose Family
- Fragaria x ananassa - Strawberry
- Malus pumila - Paradise Apple
- Prunus cerasus - Sour Cherry
- Prunus domestica - Bullace - Plum
- Prunus padus - Bird Cherry - Hackberry
- Prunus spinosa - Blackthorn - Sloe (Britain)
- Rubus saxatilis - Stone Bramble
- Sorbus aucuparia - Mountain Ash - Rowan
- Salicaceae - Willow Family
- Populus balsamifera - Balsam Poplar
- Populus tremula - Aspen Poplar
- Salix caprea - Goat Willow
- Salix phylicifolia - Tealeaf Willow
- Tiliaceae - Lime Family
- Tilia cordata - Small-leaved Lime
- Ulmaceae - Elm Family
- Ulmus glabra - Wych Elm - Scots Elm
Larval Food Plants
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Taxonomy
Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Genus: Subgenus Accepted Species Name: Type Species - ACRONICTA: Original Species Name: Literary Ref: Type Locality: Subspecies: Forms: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Noctuoidea Noctuidae Acronictinae ACRONICTA Ochsenheimer, 1816 Jocheaera Hübner,[1820] Acronicta (Jocheaera) alni (Linnaeus, 1767) - Phalana leporina (Linnaeus, 1758) - PHALAENA (Noctua) alni (Linnaeus, 1767) - Syst. Nat. (Edn 12) 1 (2): Title page : p.845 - n.134 - Europe - (LS London) in Acere, Æsculo, Juglande (The Acer,Oak,Walnut) - A.a. intensiva Draudt, 1937 A.a. italica Berio, 1961 A.a. korealni Bryk, 1948 A.a. alni (Linnaeus, 1767) - Nomnate subspecies - A.a.f.suffusa Tutt - pale patches dark as rest of forewing A.a.f. steinerti Cusp - dark brownish-grey A.a.f. carola Phil - intermeidate form A.s.f. obsoluta Tutt - reniform stigmata very feint |