Noctuidae : Xyleninae
Marbled Minor agg.
OLIGIA strigilis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Marbled Minor agg.
OLIGIA strigilis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 24-27mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe to Altai : Turkey : N Iran : Turkestan
UK Distribution: Britain, Isle of Scilly,Isle of man,Channel Isles - well distributed and frequent : Ireland - local : Scotland - less frequent
UK Conservation Status:-
Habitat: Grassland : Gardens : Woodland rides : Marshes
Similar Species -
Pupa: Pupates among the roots of the larval food plant
Overwinters as: Larva
Observations: This moth,like the similar species above,are highly variable and can only separated with certainty by genitalia examination.
The lighter moths of all three species characteristically have a pair of black bars within the median area and a whitish terminal band on the forewing.
Unfortunately most are dark specimens with little features to differentiate the moths, thus having to revert to genitalia examination to identify the species.
The terminal band with the darker moths can be greyish white,light brown or reddish brown and are variable throughout their range.
The moth is attracted to light,sugar and honeydew
Worldwide Distribution: Europe to Altai : Turkey : N Iran : Turkestan
UK Distribution: Britain, Isle of Scilly,Isle of man,Channel Isles - well distributed and frequent : Ireland - local : Scotland - less frequent
UK Conservation Status:-
- Common = >300 10Km Squares
- Least Concern
- Phalaena strigilis (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Phalaena strigilis (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Europe
Habitat: Grassland : Gardens : Woodland rides : Marshes
Similar Species -
- Tawny Marbled Minor - Oligia latruncula ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
- Rufous Minor - Oligia versicolor (Borkhausen, 1792)
Pupa: Pupates among the roots of the larval food plant
Overwinters as: Larva
Observations: This moth,like the similar species above,are highly variable and can only separated with certainty by genitalia examination.
The lighter moths of all three species characteristically have a pair of black bars within the median area and a whitish terminal band on the forewing.
Unfortunately most are dark specimens with little features to differentiate the moths, thus having to revert to genitalia examination to identify the species.
The terminal band with the darker moths can be greyish white,light brown or reddish brown and are variable throughout their range.
The moth is attracted to light,sugar and honeydew
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
- Dactylis glomerata - Cock's-foot - Orchard grass
- Elymus repens - Couch grass
- Phalaris arundinacea - Reed Canary Grass
- Note - Larvae also feed on the following plant families
- Poaceae - Gramineae - Agropyron - Crested Wheat-grass, Poa - grasses
- Note - Larvae also feed on the following plant families
Larval Food Plants
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Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Tribe: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species - OLIGIA: Original Species Name: Species Names: Literary Ref: Type Locality: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Noctuoidea Noctuidae Noctuinae Apameini OLIGIA Hübner, [1821] Oligia strigilis (Linnaeus, 1758) - Phalaena strigilis (Linnaeus, 1758) - PHALAENA strigilis (Linnaeus, 1758) = Noctua praeduncula Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775 = Miana invisa Walker, [1857] = Procus strigilis virgata Heydemann, 1942 - Syst. Nat. (Edn 10) 1 : Title page : p.516 - n.109 - Europe |
