Noctuidae : Heliothinae
Marbled Clover
HELIOTHIS viriplaca (Hufnagel, 1766)
Marbled Clover
HELIOTHIS viriplaca (Hufnagel, 1766)
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 30-36mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - missing from Russia North & Northwest,Ireland & Some Mediterranean Islands
UK Distribution: Breckland of Norfolk,Suffolk & Suffolk Coast,Wiltshire locally,N Hampshire intermittently,odd records which are possibly immigrants
UK Conservation Status -
Type Locality -
Habitat: Open breckland : Chalk Downland : Sand & Shingle Beaches : Farming set-aside
Similar Species -
Pupa: Formed in a cocoon just below the soil
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: The moth is a red data book (1980/93) species occurs from the Brecklands of Norfolk to Hampshire,Wiltshire and East Gloucestershire.Recorded moth numbers appear to be declining in recent years.
The dark brown median band on this moth is slightly angled towards the basal area whilst the band of the similar species Shoulder-striped Clover is sharply inclined as well as having extra dark shoulder-stripes which are lacking in this moth (See first two photos in gallery).
The moth is a heavy feeder, found flying rapidly from flower to flower in sunny weather,Clover and Viper's Bugloss being a regular source of nectar.
The moth is also attracted to light.
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - missing from Russia North & Northwest,Ireland & Some Mediterranean Islands
UK Distribution: Breckland of Norfolk,Suffolk & Suffolk Coast,Wiltshire locally,N Hampshire intermittently,odd records which are possibly immigrants
UK Conservation Status -
- RedList - GB - Pre94 - (RDB 3 - Rare) < 15 x 10km squares
- Possible Migrant
- Least Concern
- Phalaena viriplaca (Hufnagel,1766)
Type Locality -
- Not Specified
Habitat: Open breckland : Chalk Downland : Sand & Shingle Beaches : Farming set-aside
Similar Species -
- Shoulder-striped Clover - Heliothis maritima - Graslin, 1855
Pupa: Formed in a cocoon just below the soil
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: The moth is a red data book (1980/93) species occurs from the Brecklands of Norfolk to Hampshire,Wiltshire and East Gloucestershire.Recorded moth numbers appear to be declining in recent years.
The dark brown median band on this moth is slightly angled towards the basal area whilst the band of the similar species Shoulder-striped Clover is sharply inclined as well as having extra dark shoulder-stripes which are lacking in this moth (See first two photos in gallery).
The moth is a heavy feeder, found flying rapidly from flower to flower in sunny weather,Clover and Viper's Bugloss being a regular source of nectar.
The moth is also attracted to light.
Photo Gallery
First two photos shown median band difference between the two species
First two photos shown median band difference between the two species
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.
- Apiaceae - Umbelliferae - Umbellifer Family
- Daucus carota - Wild Carrot (UK)
- Asteraceae - Compositae - Aster-Daisy - Sunflower Family
- Artemesia absinthium - Wormwood
- Centaurea jacea - Brown Knapweed
- Centauria scabiosa - Greater Knapweed
- Cichorium intybus - Chicory
- Crepis capillaris - Smooth Hawksbeard
- Helianthus annuus - Sunflower
- Senecio viscosus - Sticky Groundsel
- Boraginaceae - Borage - Forget-me-not Family
- Helitropium europaeum - European Heliotrope
- Caryophyllaceae - Pink and Carnation Family
- Silene latifolia - White Campion
- Silene nutans - Nottingham Catchfly
- Silene vulgaris - Bladder Campion - Maidenstears
- Euphorbiaceae - Spurge Family
- Euphorbia cyparissias - Cypress Spurge
- Fabaceae - Leguminosea - The Pulse - Bean - Pea - Legume Family
- Cytisus scoparius - Broom - Scotch Broom
- Glycine max - Soya Bean
- Medicago sativa - Alfalfa
- Ononis repens - Common Rest Harrow
- Ononis spinosa - Spiny Rest Harrow
- Trifolium pratense - Red Clover
- Papaveraceae - Poppy Family
- Papaver somniferum - Opium Poppy
- Rosaceae - Rose Family
- Sanguisorba minor - Salad Burnet
- Scrophulariaceae - Figwort Family
- Linaria vulgaris - Yellow/Common Toadflax
- Odontites luteus - Bead Yellow
Larval Food Plants
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Taxonomy
Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species - HELIOTHIS: Original Species Name: Species Names: Genus Names: Literary Ref: Type Locality: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Noctuoidea Noctuidae Heliothinae HELIOTHIS Ochsenheimer,1816 Heliothis viriplaca (Hufnagel, 1766) - Phalaena dipsacea (Linnaeus, 1767) - PHALAENA viriplaca (Hufnagel,1766) = dipsacea (Linnaeus, 1767). - HELIOTHIS - Ochsenheimer,1816 = Chazaria Moore 1881 = Rhodocleptria Hampson 1903 - Berlin. Magazin. 3 (4): Title Page : p.406- n.84 - Not Specified |