Erebidae : Arctiinae
Scarce Footman
EILEMA complana (Linnaeus, 1758)
Scarce Footman
EILEMA complana (Linnaeus, 1758)
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 30-36mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe : Asia Minor : Crimea : Caucasus : Transcaucasia : Middle Asia - Alai : SW.Siberia : Middle Amur : Primorye : NW.China : Mongolia
UK Distribution: Southern & Estern England to Yorkshire-quite frequent : SW England,Wales,Midlands north to Cumbria & Isle of Man-more local : Ireland-Widely distributed but coastal : Channel Isles-widespread and fairly frequent
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Heathland : Moorland : Woodland : Downland : Gardens
Similar Species -
Pupa: Pupates in a web like cocoon amongst plant debris in a crevice
Overwinters as: Small larva
Observations: The moth is grey with a thin yellow costal/terminal streak which is maintained around the forewing.The moths collar is also completely yellow.
Can be confused with the Common Footman E.lurideola but with this moth the yellow streak narrows and the collar has a small ammount of grey at the centre. At rest the moth folds it wings, giving a tapered look from above(See photo 2) again seperating the two species.
The Hoary Footman E.caniola lacks the continuous yellow streak although at rest they look similar.
The Northern Footman E.complana f. sericea cannot be separated from this moth but is extremely rare only appearing at Whixhall Moss Shropshire.
The moth is a regular visitor to the light trap,appearing sometime in large numbers and also feeds from flowers after dark,especially Knapweed and Thistles
Worldwide Distribution: Europe : Asia Minor : Crimea : Caucasus : Transcaucasia : Middle Asia - Alai : SW.Siberia : Middle Amur : Primorye : NW.China : Mongolia
UK Distribution: Southern & Estern England to Yorkshire-quite frequent : SW England,Wales,Midlands north to Cumbria & Isle of Man-more local : Ireland-Widely distributed but coastal : Channel Isles-widespread and fairly frequent
UK Conservation Status -
- Local = 101 - 300 10Km Squares
- Least Concern
- Phalaena complana (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Bombyx caniola Hübner, 1808
- Not Specified
Habitat: Heathland : Moorland : Woodland : Downland : Gardens
Similar Species -
- Common Footman Eilema lurideola Zincken, 1817
- Hoary Footman Eilema caniola Hübner, 1808
- Northern Footman Eilema complana f.sericea Gregson, 1860
Pupa: Pupates in a web like cocoon amongst plant debris in a crevice
Overwinters as: Small larva
Observations: The moth is grey with a thin yellow costal/terminal streak which is maintained around the forewing.The moths collar is also completely yellow.
Can be confused with the Common Footman E.lurideola but with this moth the yellow streak narrows and the collar has a small ammount of grey at the centre. At rest the moth folds it wings, giving a tapered look from above(See photo 2) again seperating the two species.
The Hoary Footman E.caniola lacks the continuous yellow streak although at rest they look similar.
The Northern Footman E.complana f. sericea cannot be separated from this moth but is extremely rare only appearing at Whixhall Moss Shropshire.
The moth is a regular visitor to the light trap,appearing sometime in large numbers and also feeds from flowers after dark,especially Knapweed and Thistles
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.
- Peltigeraceae - Litchenised Fungi Family
- Hypogya physodes - Dark Crottle
- Parmelia saxatilis - Shield Lichen
Taxonomy
Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Tribe: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species - EILEMA: Original Species Name: Species Names: Genus Names: Literary Ref: Type Locality: Forms/Aberrations: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Noctuoidea Erebidae Arctiinae Lithosiini EILEMA Hübner, [1819] Eilema complana (Linnaeus, 1758) - Bombyx caniola Hübner, 1808 - PHALAENA complana (Linnaeus, 1758) = Eilema complanum (Linnaeus, 1758) = ochrocephala Geoffroy, 1785 = Lithosia complanata Costa, 1833 = Lithosia sericea Gregson, 1860 = Lithosia molybdeola Guenée, 1861 = Crambidia allegheniensis Holland, 1903 = Eilema balcanica Daniel, 1939 = Eilema postgrisescens Lempke, 1961 = Eilema sericea Gregson, 1860 - = EILEMA Hübner, 1819 = Zobida Birket-Smith 1965 - Syst. Nat. (Edn 10) 1 : Title page : p.512 - n.85 - Not Specified - E.c.f.flavescens Rebel,1910-Forewing suffused with yellow E.C.f.sericea Gregson, 1860-Wing suffused with grey,especially hindwing-British Isles only |