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Noctuidae : Psaphidinae

Sprawler

ASTEROSCOPUS sphinx (Hufnagel, 1766)
Picture
Life Cycle Guide
Picture
Description
Wingspan: 39 - 49mm
Worldwide Distribution: Central & Southern Europe : Asia Minor : Caucasus
UK Distribution: England - southern half & Wales - well distributed : Northern England & Ireland - local : Channel Isles - extremely rare - only ever recorded in Jersey 1903 & 1977
UK Conservation Status -
  • Common = >300 10Km Squares
  • NERC S.41 : 2008 (England) & NERC S.42 : 2009 (Wales) - Species "of principle importance for the purpose of conserving biodiversity
  • Northern Ireland - Priority Species : 2010
  • BAP : 2007 - Priority Species
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name:
  • Phalaena sphinx (Hufnagle, 1766)
Type Species - Asteroscopus
  • Bombyx cassinia ([Denis & Schiffermüller],1775)
Type Locality -
  • Germany - Berlin Region
Flight Period: South - late September to early December : Elsewhere - late October to early December
Habitat: Broadleaved woodland : Gardens
Similar Species -
  • None
Larva: The 45mm final instar larva has a bold yellow spriracular line with pinkish-white spiracles. Below this line the body is a darker green,whilst above the line the body colour is pale green.Viewed from above the 3 dorsal and subdorsal lines are white. Towards the rear at the eleventh segment there is a hump and the larva adopts the strange posture shown below by bending the anterior half of the body.The head is green.The early instar larva are brown.
Pupa: Pupates beneath the soil
Overwinters as: Ovum
Observations: The moth is unmistakable firstly due to a very late flight period and and having no similar species ,secondly from the hairy thorax,streaked markings and broad forewing.
There is a black basal streak, clearly seen in photo 2, and the forewings are brownish-grey whilst the hindwings are creamy white sometimes having brown venation markings,especially the male.

The species is of conservation concern and is listed under the UK Biodiversity plan NERC.41 & 42 for England and Wales respectively  and is a priority species in Northern Ireland.

The moth is attracted to light especially the moth trap,security lighting and underpasses.

Photo Gallery
Larva
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.
Larval Food Plants
Taxonomy
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Type Species - ASTEROSCOPUS:

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Literary Ref:

Type Locality:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Noctuoidea
Noctuidae
Psaphidinae
ASTEROSCOPUS Boisduval, 1828
Asteroscopus sphinx (Hufnagel, 1766)
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Bombyx cassinia ([Denis & Schiffermüller],1775)
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PHALAENA sphinx (Hufnagel, 1766)
= Bombyx cassinia Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775
= Brachionycha sphinx alpina Seifers, 1916
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Berlin. Magazin :  3 (4) : Title Page : p.400 - n.75
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Germany - Berlin Region