Geometridae : Enomminae
Brown Silver-line
PETROPHORA chlorosata (Scopoli, 1763)
Brown Silver-line
PETROPHORA chlorosata (Scopoli, 1763)
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 31-37mm
Worldwide Distribution: Iberian peninsula north to Scandinavia and east to Greece and Turkey : China : Japan
UK Distribution: Resident : Common : widely and well distributed throughout England : Wales : Isle of Man : Ireland : Lowland Scotland north to Caithness. Widespread on Channel Isles
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Can be found anywhere the larval food plant,Bracken is available : Woodland : Heathland : Moorland
Similar Species -
Pupa: Overwinters as a pupa underground.
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: The Brown Silver-line is one of those moths you usually come across when looking for other moths, like the Speckled Yellow that shares the same woodland habitat, and is usually disturbed from Bracken whereupon it tries to hide amongst grass stems with its forewings closed, covering the hindwings.
The moth gets its name from the two central silvery cross lines on the forewings edged with brown. There are also two central spots on the forewings.
The colur between individuals can change slightly with the cross lines being more or less prominent.
This daytime flyer is attracted to light.
Worldwide Distribution: Iberian peninsula north to Scandinavia and east to Greece and Turkey : China : Japan
UK Distribution: Resident : Common : widely and well distributed throughout England : Wales : Isle of Man : Ireland : Lowland Scotland north to Caithness. Widespread on Channel Isles
UK Conservation Status -
- Common = >300 10Km Squares
- Least Concern
- Phalaena chlorosata Scopoli, 1763
- Petrophora diversata Hübner, 1811
- Not Specified
Habitat: Can be found anywhere the larval food plant,Bracken is available : Woodland : Heathland : Moorland
Similar Species -
- None
Pupa: Overwinters as a pupa underground.
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: The Brown Silver-line is one of those moths you usually come across when looking for other moths, like the Speckled Yellow that shares the same woodland habitat, and is usually disturbed from Bracken whereupon it tries to hide amongst grass stems with its forewings closed, covering the hindwings.
The moth gets its name from the two central silvery cross lines on the forewings edged with brown. There are also two central spots on the forewings.
The colur between individuals can change slightly with the cross lines being more or less prominent.
This daytime flyer is attracted to light.
Photo Gallery
Larval Food Plants Worldwide
Brown Silver-line larvae feed on plant family described below plant photos.
Brown Silver-line larvae feed on plant family described below plant photos.
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.
- Polypodiaceae - Fern Family
- Pteridium aquilinum - Bracken
- Pteridium aquilinum - Bracken
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 - PETROPHORA: Original Species Name: Literary Ref: Type Locality: Forms: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Geometroidea Geometridae Ennominae Lithinini PETROPHORA Hübner, [1811] Petrophora chlorosata (Scopoli, 1763) - Petrophora diversata Hübner, 1811 - PHALAENA chlorosata (Scopoli, 1763) = Geometra petraria Hübner, 1799 - Entomologia Carniolica exhibens insecta Carnioliæ indigena et distributa in ordines, genera, species, varietates. Methodo Linnæana. - pp. [1-35], 1-420, [1]. Vindobonae. (Trattner) : Title page : p.222 - n.551 - Not Specified - P.c.f.fuscata Lempke, 1951-Background dark grey-brown to dark mauve-grey P.c.f.unilinea Lempke, 1951-Forewing basal line possibly missing P.c.f.impuncta Lempke, 1970-discal spot missing |