73.220 : 2225 : 9642
Noctuidae : Xyleninae

Minor Shoulder-knot

BRACHYLOMIA viminalis (Fabricius, [1777])
Picture
Kind permission - © Tim Norriss
Life Cycle Guide
Picture
Description
Wingspan: 29-35mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - (excluding - Azores,Balearic Is.,Canary Is.,Corsica,Crete,Cyprus,Madeira,Malta,Portugal,Sardinia and Sicily)
UK Distribution: England,Wales,Scotland including Hebrides and Orkney - quite well distributed : Isle of Man - local : Ireland - widespread but local : Channel Isles - recorded on Jersey and Sark only
UK Conservation Status -
  • Common = > 300 10km squares
  • NERC S.41 : 2008 (England) & NERC S.42 : 2009 (Wales) - Species "of principle importance for the purpose of conserving biodiversity
  • Northern Ireland - Priority Species : 2010
  • BAP : 2007 - Priority Species
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name -
  • Noctua viminalis (Fabricius, [1777])
Type Species - Brachylomia
  • Cleoceris populi Strecker, 1898
Type Locality -
  • Germany
Flight Period: Southern England - June - August - univoltine : Elsewhere - July - August - univoltine
Habitat: Damp Woodland : Marshland : Fens : Heathland : River Valleys : Gardens : Pond Margins
Similar Species -
  • See below
Larva: The 32mm final instar larva is light green with a broad white dorsal stripe and thinner subdorsal and spiracular lines and two rows of white pinacula. Head is greenish,spiracles small and black. Larva feeds among spun leaves on terminal shoots of host plant.
Pupa: Pupates in leaf litter or just below the soil
Overwinters as: Ovum
Observations: Although similar to Rufous,Marbled and Tawney Marbled Minors they all lack the basal streak evident with this moth and emerge earlier in the year.
The forewing is whitish grey to blackish grey with a pinkish red sometimes along the costa and around the orbicular spot and stigmata.
The moth is attracted to flowers,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 - BRACHYLOMIA:

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Type Locality:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Noctuoidea
Noctuidae
Xyleninae
Xylenini
BRACHYLOMIA Hampson 1906
Brachylomia viminalis (Fabricius, [1777])
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Cleoceris populi Strecker, 1898
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NOCTUA viminalis (Fabricius, [1777])
= Phalaena (Bombyx) stricta Esper, 1789
= Phalaena (Noctua) saliceti Borkhausen, 1792
= Noctua scripta Hübner, [1803]
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Genera insectorvm eorvmqve characteres natvrales secvndvm nvmervm, figvram, sitvm et proportionem omnivm partivm oris adiecta mantissa speciervm nvper detectarvm. - pp. [1-15], 1-310. Chilonii. (Bartsch). : Title Page : p.284 - n.67 - 68
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Germany