Crambidae : Spilomelinae
Mother of Pearl
PLEUROPTYA ruralis (Scopoli, 1763)
Mother of Pearl
PLEUROPTYA ruralis (Scopoli, 1763)
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 33-37mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe
UK Distribution: Common throughout most of Britain
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Gardens : Rough pastures : Downland : Woodland : Waste ground
Similar Species -
The larva has a very strange but efficient way of escaping predators by anchoring its tail to the ground,recoiling rapidly,then rolls away backwards like a green tyre. This its repeats half a dozen times,mouth to tail,like a wheel, which increases its speed some 40 times faster than its normal walking pace.
Overwinters as: Larva
Observations: The Mother of Pearl moth is one of the largest of the "micro" moths being much larger than some of the "macro' moths.
It is also one of the easiest recognised moths with its opalescent/pearly sheen showing colours of the rainbow under certain lighting conditions-see photo 1.
The two cross-lines are slightly darker than the forewing ground colour. The subterminal cross-line bends at 90º towards the costa.
The moth can be easily disturbed during the day,especially when on its food plant,it flies from dusk,and is attracted to light.
Worldwide Distribution: Europe
UK Distribution: Common throughout most of Britain
UK Conservation Status -
- Common = >300 10Km Squares
- Least Concern
- Phalaena ruralis Scopoli, 1763
- Botys aurantiacalis Fischer von Röslerstamm, 1840
- Slovenia-Carniolia
Habitat: Gardens : Rough pastures : Downland : Woodland : Waste ground
Similar Species -
- None
The larva has a very strange but efficient way of escaping predators by anchoring its tail to the ground,recoiling rapidly,then rolls away backwards like a green tyre. This its repeats half a dozen times,mouth to tail,like a wheel, which increases its speed some 40 times faster than its normal walking pace.
Overwinters as: Larva
Observations: The Mother of Pearl moth is one of the largest of the "micro" moths being much larger than some of the "macro' moths.
It is also one of the easiest recognised moths with its opalescent/pearly sheen showing colours of the rainbow under certain lighting conditions-see photo 1.
The two cross-lines are slightly darker than the forewing ground colour. The subterminal cross-line bends at 90º towards the costa.
The moth can be easily disturbed during the day,especially when on its food plant,it flies from dusk,and 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.
- Asteraceae - Compositae - Aster-Daisy - Sunflower Family
- Lactuca sativa - Lettuce
- Fabaceae - Leguminosea - The Pulse - Bean - Pea - Legume Family
- Glycine max - Soya Bean
- Poaceae - Gramineae - True Grasses Family
- Zea mays - Sweetcorn
- Rosaceae - Rose Family
- Filipendula ulmaria - Meadowsweet
- Ulmaceae - Elm Family
- Ulmus procera - English Elm - Common Elm
- Ulmus glabra - Wych Elm - Scots Elm
- Ulmus procera - English Elm - Common Elm
- Urticaeae - Nettle Family
- Urtica dioica - Stinging Nettle - Common Nettle
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 - PLEUROPTYA: Original Species Name: Species Names: Literary Ref: Type Locality: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Pyraloidea Crambidae Spilomelinae PLEUROPTYA Meyrick, 1890 Pleuroptya ruralis (Scopoli, 1763) - Botys aurantiacalis Fischer von Röslerstamm, 1840 - PHALAENA ruralis (Scopoli, 1763) = Syllepta ruralis = Pleuroptya conchalis Werneburg, 1864 = Pleuroptya ruralis dubia Hampson, 1891 = Pleuroptya ruralis flavescens Rebel, 1916 = Pleuroptya iridialis Hübner, 1825 - Entomologia Carniolica exhibens insecta Carnioliæ indigena et distributa in ordines, genera, species, varietates. Methodo Linnæana. - pp. [1-35], 1-420, [1]. Vindobonae. (Trattner) : Title Page : p.242 - n.616 - Slovenia-Carniolia |