72.043 : 2049 : 10,487
Erebidae : Arctiinae

Buff Footman

EILEMA depressa (Esper, 1787)
Picture
Life Cycle Guide
Picture
Description

Wingspan: 28 - 36mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - ( Excluding - Azores,Balearis Is.,Canary Is.,Corsica,Crete,Cyprus,Madeira,Malta,Portugal,S Russia & Sicily) : N.Asia Minor : Crimea : Abkhasia : Transcaucasia : S.Siberia : Middle Amur : Primorye : Sakhalin : Kunashir : Zhejiang : Korea : Japan
UK Distribution: South-west & central southern England - well distributed and fairly frequent : Also found in parts os Sussex,Kent,London Area and East Anglia,especially breckland : south MIdlands & Wye Valley - more localised : further north including north Wales - very local : Ireland - very local in south west. : Jersey - widespread and frequent - Guernsey - rare
UK Conservation Status -
  • Local = 101 - 300  10km squares
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name -
  • Phalaena depressa (Esper, 1787)
Type Species - Eilema
  • Bombyx caniola Hübner, 1808
Type Locality -
  • Not Specified
Flight Period: end June - beginning September - univoltine
Habitat: Established mixed Broadleaved woodland : Scrub : Downland : Heathland : Fens
Similar Species -
  • Dingy Footman - Eilema griseola - (Hübner, [1803])
Larva: Larva feeds on various lichens and algae growing on various deciduous and coniferous trees including Oak,Birch,Hawthorn and Yew and African Redwood. The 24mm final instar larva is black with broad greenish white dorsal stripe which is interrupted on segments 3,7,& 11 by black markings
Pupa: Pupates in cocoon spun up on bark  or among lichens in a crevice
Overwinters as: Larva
Observations: The male is greyish white with orange yellow fringes on both wings and faint yellow stripe along basal third of leading edge. The female is less distinctive,slightly larger,with brownish grey forewings which are occasionally paler with distinct range stripe along leading edge and grey hindwing.
Although similar to the Dingy Footman the two wing shapes vary slightly with the latter being broader and more rounded.
Atrracted to light but appears at the light trap in small numbers
Photo Gallery
Larva
Larval Food Plants Worldwide
Larva feeds on various lichens and algae growing on various deciduous and coniferous trees including
Oak,Birch,Hawthorn and Yew and African Redwood

Taxonomy
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Type Species - EILEMA:

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Forms:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Noctuoidea
Erebidae
Arctiinae
Lithosiini
EILEMA Hübner, [1819]
Eilema depressa (Esper, 1787)
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Bombyx caniola Hübner, 1808
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PHALAENA depressa (Esper, 1787)
= Eilema deplana
= Eilema depressum
= Phalaena deplana Esper, 1787
= Noctua luteola Hübner, 1788
= Bombyx helvola Hübner, [1803]
= Bombyx ochreola Hübner, [1803]
= Lithosia helveola Ochsenheimer, 1810
= unicolor Bankes, 1902
= atra Torstenius, 1956
= albescens Lempke, 1961
= flavescens Lempke, 1961
= Ilema depressa
= Eilema deplana deplana
= Eilema deplanum
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Esper, E. J. C. 1794. Die Schmetterlinge in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Beschreibungen. Fünfter Theil. Europäische Gattungen. - pp. 1-276, Tab. I-LII [= 1-52]. Erlangen. (Walther).V1 : p.98 (31) pl.98 - f.3
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Not Specified
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E.d.f.ochreola Hübner, 1827 - ochre to lemon yellow
E.d.f.helveola Ochsenheimer, 1810 - background whitish
E.d.f.unicolora Guenée, 1861 - Forewing ochre yellow
E.d.f.rondoui Oberthur, 1925 - Forewing splendid yellow
E.d.f.violagriscens Daniel, 1952 - Forewing purple brown