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Noctuidae : Heliothinae

Bordered Straw

HELIOTHIS peltigera ([Denis & Schiffermüller],1775)
Picture
Kind permission - © Tim Norriss
Life Cycle Guide
Picture
Description
Wingspan: 34-42mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe : N Africa
UK Distribution: Immigrant recorded most years especially in Southern England and Wales : Recorded as far north as Shetlands,Ireland and Isle of Man : Channel Isles - occasional immigrant
UK Conservation Status -
  • Migrant
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name -
  • Phalaena (Noctua) peltigera ([Denis & Schiffermüller],1775)
Type Species - Heliothis
  • Phalaena dipsacea (Linnaeus, 1767)
Type Locality -
  • Austria - near Vienna
Flight Period: Has been recorded in every season : South - early April - September,mostly seen June - August
Habitat: Coastal,also seen inland
Similar Species -
  • Scarce Bordered Straw or Old World Bollworm - Helicoverpa armigera -  (Hübner, [1808])
Larva: The 36mm final instar larva is medium green or yellowish green with pink banding around the abdominal segments. There are fine yellow dots all over the body.There is an incomplete darker green dorsal line with yellowish white subdorsal and subspiracular lines. The spiracles are a small black dot surrounded by yellow ring.The setae or hairs are fairly long and white.The head is green and mottled in darker green.
Pupa: Pupates in cocoon in moss or soil
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: The colour of this moth varies dependent on ambient temperatures experienced in the early stages, which make immigrant moths, where these temperatures were hot, arrive in straw brown colour as the vernacular name suggests, whereas their offspring being in this country tend to be darker yellowish brown.The reniform stigmata tends to be greyish and sits next to a brownish patch on the costa. The subterminal band is slightly darker brown and finishes at the costa in a darker brown triangular shape.There are two small anal black spots and on the costa at the normal basal line are two dark brown small patches.The hindwing is straw coloured with a wide dark brown terminal band.

As an immigrant this moth appears in some years in vast numbers, giving rise to widespread breeding in the south.

The moth flies in sunshine and is attracted to sugar and 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.
Larval Food Plants
Taxonomy
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Type Species - HELIOTHIS:

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Type Locality:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Noctuoidea
Noctuidae
Heliothinae
HELIOTHIS Ochsenheimer,1816
Heliothis peltigera ([Denis & Schiffermüller],1775)
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Phalaena dipsacea (Linnaeus, 1767)
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PHALAENA (Noctua) peltigera ([Denis & Schiffermüller],1775)
= Peltothis peltigera
= Heliothis alphea (Cramer, 1780)
= Phalaena alphea Cramer, 1780
= Heliothis charmione (Stoll, 1790)
= Phalaena charmione Stoll, 1790
= Heliothis florentina (Esper, 1788)
= Phalaena florentina Esper, 1788
= Heliothis insulata (Navas, 1924)
= Chloridea insulata Navas, 1924
= Heliothis straminea (Donovan, 1793)
= Phalaena straminea Donovan, 1793
= Phalaena scutigera Borkhausen, 1792
= Heliothis barbara (Fabricius ,1794)
= Heliothis guidellii Constantini,1922
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HELIOTHIS Ochsenheimer
= Chazaria Moore 1881
= Rhodocleptria Hampson 1903
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Ref-Ankündung eines systematischen Werkes von den Schmetterlingen der Wienergegend : Title Page : p.89 - n.2
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Austria - near Vienna