Geometridae : Enomminae
Feathered Thorn
COLOTOIS pennaria (Linnaeus, 1761)
Feathered Thorn
COLOTOIS pennaria (Linnaeus, 1761)
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 35-45mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe : Near East
UK Distribution: Resident : England,Wales and Ireland-fairly frequent throughout its range : Scotland-local throughout mainland : Isle of Man-Local : Channel Isles-Widespread but not frequent
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Broadleaf woodland : Parks : Gardens
Similar Species -
Pupa: Pupates just below ground
Overwinters as: Ova
Observations: The Feathered Thorn gets its name from the antennae of the male of the species which is feather like in appearance-see photo 3.
The moth is similar in appearance to the Orange moth but the two appear at totally different times in the season, with the orange moth appearing in the middle of the year, whereas the Feathered Thorn is only seen late between September and December.
The moth flies later than other "Thorns"and is the only moth with such colouration and size so late in the season.
As previously described, only the male has the feathery antennae which is the largest of the Thorns.
The apex on the forewing of both sexes is hooked with two conspicuous cross-lines which are thicker and kinked towards the costa.
The male forewing ground colour tends to be between orange and brick red whereas in the female the forewings are greyish brown.
Moth is attracted to light although the females tend to be less so.
Worldwide Distribution: Europe : Near East
UK Distribution: Resident : England,Wales and Ireland-fairly frequent throughout its range : Scotland-local throughout mainland : Isle of Man-Local : Channel Isles-Widespread but not frequent
UK Conservation Status -
- Common = >300 10Km Squares
- Least Concern
- Phalaena pennaria Linnaeus 1761
- Phalaena pennaria Linnaeus 1761
- Sweden-W Gothia
Habitat: Broadleaf woodland : Parks : Gardens
Similar Species -
- None
Pupa: Pupates just below ground
Overwinters as: Ova
Observations: The Feathered Thorn gets its name from the antennae of the male of the species which is feather like in appearance-see photo 3.
The moth is similar in appearance to the Orange moth but the two appear at totally different times in the season, with the orange moth appearing in the middle of the year, whereas the Feathered Thorn is only seen late between September and December.
The moth flies later than other "Thorns"and is the only moth with such colouration and size so late in the season.
As previously described, only the male has the feathery antennae which is the largest of the Thorns.
The apex on the forewing of both sexes is hooked with two conspicuous cross-lines which are thicker and kinked towards the costa.
The male forewing ground colour tends to be between orange and brick red whereas in the female the forewings are greyish brown.
Moth is attracted to light although the females tend to be less so.
Photo Gallery
Larva
Larval Food Plants
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.
- Aceraceae - Maple Family
- Acer palmatum - Japanese Maple
- Acer platanoides - Norway Maple
- Acer sieboldianum - Seibold's Maple
- Acer ukurunduense - Ukurundu Maple
- Betulaceae - Birch Family
- Betula pendula - Silver Birch
- Betula pubescens - Downy Birch
- Carpinus betulus - Hornbeam
- Corylus avellana - Hazel
- Fagaceae - Oak - Chestnut - Beech Family
- Casnea crenata - Japanese Chestnut
- Fagus crenata - Japanese Beech
- Fagus japonica - Japanese Blue Beech
- Quercus acutissima - Sawthorn Oak
- Quercus cerris - Turkey Oak
- Quercus petraea - Sessile Oak
- Quercus robur - Pedunculate Oak - Common Oak
- Quercus serrata - Korean Oak
- Oleceae - Mesophytic Shrubs
- Fraxinus lanuginosa - Japanese Ash
- Pinaceae - Pine Family
- Larix decidua - Larch
- Rosaceae - The Rose Family
- Crataegus laevigata - Midland Hawthorn
- Crataegus monogyna - Hawthorn
- Malus pumila - Paradise Apple
- Malus sylvestris - Crab Apple
- Photinia villosa - Orienental Photinia
- Prunus domestica - Bullace - Plum
- Prunus grayana - Japanese Bird Cherry
- Prunus padus - Bird Cherry - Hackberry
- Prunus spinosa - Blackthorn - Sloe(Britain)
- Prunus yedoensis - Tokyo Cherry
- Pyrus communis - Wild Pear
- Sorbus aucuparia - Mountain Ash - Rowan
- Rosa canina - Dog Rose
- Salicaceae - Willow Family
- Populus nigra - Black Poplar - Lombardy Poplar
- Salix caprea - Goat Willow
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 - COLOTOIS: Original Species Name: Species Name: Nominotypical Subspecies: Literary Ref: Type Locality Forms/Aberrations: Subspecies: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Geometroidea Geometridae Ennominae Colotoini COLOTOIS Hübner, [1823] Colotois pennaria (Linnaeus, 1761) - Phalaena pennaria (Linnaeus 1761) - = PHALAENA pennaria (Linnaeus 1761) = Phalaena bifidaria Haworth 1809 - Phalaena pennaria pennaria (Linnaeus 1761) - Fauna Suecica (Edn 2) : Title page : p.324 - n.1231 - Sweden-W Gothia - C.p.grisea Hannemann, 1920-Background greyish C.p.olivacea Hoffmann, 1919-Background olive C.p.flavescens Schawerda, 1922-Background yellowish C.p.aurantiaca Lempke, 1951-Background orangey C.p.rosea Foltin, 1942-Background pink-russet colour C.p.castiniaria Lambillon, 1905-Background blackish hue C.p.rufolineata Lempke, 1951-Cross-lines can be red C.p.atrolineata Warnecke, 1944-Cross-lines can be black C.p.tangens Lempke, 1951-Cross-lines can touch C.p.obsoletelineata Lempke, 1951-Cross-lines can be missing C.p.vicinalis Rudolfh, 1935-Cross-lines closer together C.p.recurvata Lempke, 1970-Antemedial line dentate towards postmedial line,but not touching C.p.depuncta Nitsche, 1924-Discal spot missing C.p.demaculata Lempke, 1951-Subapial white spot missing C.p.interrupta Lempke, 1970-Broken median area at centre C.p.unilineata Lempke, 1970-Antemedial cross-line missing on forewing - C.p.mauretanaria Stättermayer, 1930-Morocco : Algeria C.p.paupera Hausmann, 1995-Cyprus C.p.pennaria Linnaeus, 1761 C.p.ussuriensis Bang-Haas, 1927 |