73.128 : 2360 : 9828
Noctuidae : Xyleninae

Ear Moth

AMPHIPOEA oculea (Linnaeus, 1761)
Picture
Kind permission - © Tim Norriss
Life Cycle Guide
Picture
Description
Wingspan: 29-34mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe
UK Distribution: Common throughout much of Great Britain,Ireland and Isle of Man,but in low numbers : Channel Isles-local and rare
UK Conservation Status -
  • NERC S.41 : 2008 (England) & NERC S.42 : 2009 (Wales) - Species "of principle importance for the purpose of conserving biodiversity"
  • Northern Ireland : 2010 - Priority Species
  • Common = >300 10Km Squares
  • BAP : 2007 - Priority Species
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name -
  • Phalaena (Noctua) oculea Linnaeus, 1761
Type Species - Amphipoea
  • Phalaena nictitans Linnaeus, 1767
Type Locality -
  • Sweden
Flight Period: South-June to September : Elsewhere-late July to September
Habitat: Gardens : Open Woodland : Marshes : Moorland : Saltmarshes : Unimproved grassland
Similar Species -
  • Crinan Ear Amphipoea crinanensis Burrows, 1908
  • Saltern Ear Amphipoea fucosa Tutt, 1888
  • Large Ear Amphipoea Lucens Freyer, 1845
Larva: Viewed from side-the larva is olive green with a lateral intermittent black line through the spiracles.The line is formed by  dashes where the black dash is darker on the abdominal segments and feint between the the dark dashes.Viewed on top-a single black central lateral line is wider and only seems to break at the abdominal segments creases. Larva is rarely encountered in the wild
Pupa: Pupates underground in a cell
Overwinters as: Ovum
Observations: The different Ear Moths are difficult to distinguish without dissection of the genatalia and this is not always a guarantee of identification so actual distributions of these moths are not certain, although, generally speaking, the Ear Moth distribution inland is Southern Britain,the Large Ear more prominent in the North and West of Britain and the Saltern Ear more likely in coastal areas of England and some areas of Scotland.

It is not difficult to see why these moths are called Ear moths as the reniform stigmata which is yellow and ringed with ruddy brown looks just like the human ear.

The ear moth is a regular at the light trap and is also attracted to sugar and flowers,often during the day
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 - AMPHIPOEA:

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Literary Ref:

Type Locality:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Noctuoidea
Noctuidae
Xyleninae
Apameini
AMPHIPOEA Billberg 1820
Amphipoea oculea (Linneaus, 1761)
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Phalaena nictitans Linnaeus, 1767
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PHALAENA (Noctua) oculea (Linnaeus, 1761)
= Phalaena (Noctua) nictitans Linnaeus, 1761
= Noctua chrysographa Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775
= Phalaena (Noctua) splendens Borkhausen, 1792
= Noctua myopa Fabricius, 1794
= Noctua cinerago Fabricius, 1794
= Noctua auricula Donovan, 1807
= Noctua erythrostigma Haworth, 1809.
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Fauna Suecica (Edn 2 enlarged). : Title Page : p.321 - n.1215
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Sweden