Rustic Shoulder-knot

Noctuidae : Xyleninae

Rustic Shoulder-knot

APAMEA sordens (Hufnagel, 1766)

Kind permission - © Tim Norriss

Life Cycle Guide

Description

Wingspan: 34-42mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - excluding (Azores,Balearic Is.,Canary Is.,Crete,Cyprus,Madeira,Malta,N Russia,Sardinia & Sicily) : eastwards to Turkey : Afghanistan : Tibet : Siberia China - Yunnan : Amur : Sakhalin : Japan
UK Distribution: Great Britain,Isle of Man,Ireland - well distributed and common : Channel Islands - widespread in small numbers
UK Conservation Status -

Common = > 300 10km squares

European Conservation Status -

Least Concern

Original Species Name -

Phalaena sordens (Hufnagel, 1766)

Type Species - Apamea

Noctua basilinea ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)

Type Locality -

Germany - Berlin District

Flight Period: May - July
Habitat: Grassland : Arable Farmland : Gardens : Woodland Rides
Similar Species -

None

Larva: The 42mm final instar larva is a drab brown with clear whitish dorsal line and fainter whitish subdorsal lines.There is a broad spiracular stripe,dark brown prothoracic plate between the dorsal streak and dark brown head marked with black.Larva feeds initially on seeds of host plants before feeding nocturnally on the grass blades throughout the winter months.
Pupa: Pupates in cocoon on top or just below soil
Overwinters as: Larva
Observations: The moth has broad quite pointed sandy brown or greyish brown forewings,sometimes with a reddish tinge, with a conspicuous curved,sometimes branched basal streak (see photo) which is diagnostic with this moth and helps to separate it from similar species.
The orbicular spot and stigmata are clearly marked, with the lattter often edged with white.
The marking are quite consistent with little variation, although the basal streak can be much smaller.

The moth is attracted to light,flowers and sugar.

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.

Poaceae - Gramineae - True Grasses Family
- Avena sativa - Oats
- Dactylis glomerata - Cock's-foot - Orchard grass
- Elymus repens - Couch grass
- Festuca pratensis - Meadow Fescue
- Leymus arenarius - Lyme Grass
- Hordeum vulgare - Barley
- Phalaris arundinacea - Sweet Canary-grass
- Phleum pratense - Timothy-grass
- Phragmites australis - Common Reed
- Secale cereale - Rye
- Triticum aestivum - Bread Wheat
- Zea mays - Sweetcorn
- Zizania aquatica - Wild Rice, Annual wildrice

Larval Food Plants

Taxonomy

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Type Species - APAMEA:

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Type Locality:

Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Noctuoidea
Noctuidae
Xyleninae
Apameini
APAMEA Ochsenheimer 1816
Apamea sordens (Hufnagel, 1766)
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Noctua basilinea ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
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PHALAENA sordens (Hufnagel, 1766)
= Noctua basilinea Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775
= Phalaena (Noctua) marmorosa Esper, [1788]
= Noctua nebulosa Vieweg, 1790
= Hadena cinefacta Graeser, 1889
= Hadena basilinea alacra Dannehl, 1933
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Berlin. Magazin. 3 (3): Title Page : p. 306 - n.59
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Germany - Berlin District