Noctuidae : Xyleninae
Common Rustic
MESAPAMEA secalis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common Rustic
MESAPAMEA secalis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 28-34mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe
UK Distridution: As its name suggest the Common Rustic is common and abundant throughout England,Wales,Ireland,Isle of Man,Channel Isles and lowland Scotland.
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: As the larval food plants suggest the moth tends to chose grassy places such as-Farmland : Heathland : Gardens : Woodland
Type Locality: Europe
Similar Species:-
Pupa: Pupates in a cocoon underground
Overwinters as: Larva
Observations: The Common Rustic is an extremely variable moth but with two consitently recognisable features,the first being that the forewing apex is blunt and the termen is rounded and not sharply angled. The second feature is the white or creamy white kidney-mark is always clearly marked and is at least partly outlined with white.
The Common Rustic was only differentiated between its two similar species in the 1980's and can only be reliably seperated through close examination of its genatalia, clearly affecting the recorded sightings of the three species.
The moth is attracted to light,often in large numbers and can also be attracted to flowers of grasses,Buddliah and Ragwort.
Worldwide Distribution: Europe
UK Distridution: As its name suggest the Common Rustic is common and abundant throughout England,Wales,Ireland,Isle of Man,Channel Isles and lowland Scotland.
UK Conservation Status -
- Common = >300 10Km Squares
- Least Concern
- Phalaena (Noctua) secalis (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Apamea moderata Eversmann, 1843
- Europe
Habitat: As the larval food plants suggest the moth tends to chose grassy places such as-Farmland : Heathland : Gardens : Woodland
Type Locality: Europe
Similar Species:-
- Lesser Common Rustic Mesapamea didyma (Esper, 1788)
- Remm's Rustic Mesapamea remmi Rezbanyai-Reser 1985
Pupa: Pupates in a cocoon underground
Overwinters as: Larva
Observations: The Common Rustic is an extremely variable moth but with two consitently recognisable features,the first being that the forewing apex is blunt and the termen is rounded and not sharply angled. The second feature is the white or creamy white kidney-mark is always clearly marked and is at least partly outlined with white.
The Common Rustic was only differentiated between its two similar species in the 1980's and can only be reliably seperated through close examination of its genatalia, clearly affecting the recorded sightings of the three species.
The moth is attracted to light,often in large numbers and can also be attracted to flowers of grasses,Buddliah and Ragwort.
Photo Gallery
Larval Food Plants Worldwide
Common Rustic larvae feed on plant families described below plant photos.
The larvae also feed on the following list of hostplant names :-
Gramineae
Common Rustic larvae feed on plant families described below plant photos.
The larvae also feed on the following list of hostplant names :-
Gramineae
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.
- Juncaceae - The Reed Family
- Luzula pilosa - Hairy Wood-rush
- Poaceae - Gramineae - True Grasses Family
- Avena sativa - Oats
- Elymus repens - Couch grass
- Hordeum vulgare - Barley
- Leymus arenarius - Lyme Grass
- Secale cereale - Rye
- Triticum aestivum - Bread Wheat
- Zea mays - Sweetcorn
- Note - Larvae also feed on the following plant families
- Poaceae - Gramineae - Alopecurus - Foxtail Grasses/ Dactylis - Coxfoot Grasses/Phleum - Timothy Grasses
- Note - Larvae also feed on the following plant families
Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Tribe: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species - MESAPAMEA: Original Species Name: Species Names: Literary Ref: Type Locality: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Noctuoidea Noctuidae Noctuinae Apameini MESAPAMEA Heinicke, 1959 Mesapamea secalis (Linnaeus, 1758) - Apamea moderata Eversmann, 1843 - PHALAENA (Noctua) secalis (Linnaeus, 1758) = Mesapamea didyma Esper, 1788 = Phalaena (Noctua) didyma Esper, 1788 = Noctua lamda Vieweg, 1790 = Phalaena (Noctua) lancea Esper, 1791 = Phalaena (Noctua) leucostigma Esper, 1791 = Noctua furca Haworth, 1809 = Noctua i-niger Haworth, 1809 = Noctua lugens Haworth, 1809 = Noctua nova Haworth, 1809 = Noctua rava Haworth, 1809 = Noctua secalina Hübner, 1809 = Parastichtis vilis Hübner, 1821 - Syst. Nat. (Edn 10) 1 : Title page : p.519 - n.126 - Europe |