73.249 : 2190 : 10,038
Noctuidae : Hadeninae

Hebrew Character

ORTHOSIA (Semiophora) gothica (Linnaeus, 1758)
Picture
Life Cycle Guide
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Description
Wingspan: 30-35mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe
UK Distribution: Common resident found throughout Great Britain and Ireland and Isle of Man : Channel Isles-Widespread and ubundant
UK Conservation Status -
  • Common = >300 10Km Squares
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name -
  • Phalaena Noctua gothica (Linnaeus, 1758) 
Type Species - Orthosia
  • Noctua instabilis ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
Type Locality -
  • Europe
Flight Period: Southern England-January-July : Elsewhere-March-May-Univoltine-one generation
Habitat: Literally found everywhere the larval food plant is available
Similar Species:-
  • Setaceous Hebrew Character Xestia c-nigrum (Linnaeus, 1758)
Larva: End March-beginning July.The ground colour of the caterpillar is green.Viewed from side-central lateral white line which can be thin or in some cases much broader.Viewed from above-Three white lateral lines with the central line being slightly wider than the other two.The abdominal segments can be highlighted towards the rear in yellow.
The larva is polyphagous,feeding on a wide variety of plant families.
Pupa: Pupates underground in a cocoon
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: The moth derives its name from the black(sometimes ground colour in northern species) symbol on the forewing which is very similar to "Bet/Vet ב " ,the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet.The mark can be variable but in most cases is saddle shaped and in other cases the symbol can be interrupted by the orbicular spot which divides it into two smaller marks.Normal ground colour varies from pale sandy to blackish and in the reddish O. g. f.gothicina the symbol is the same colour as the background and as such is indistinct.
Another form of this moth occurs further south into the southern counties and has a more variable background colour which is O. g. f.obsoleta Tutt

The moth is attracted to light and sugar,often appearing in good numbers.They tend to fly late at night even under cold conditions and feed on Sallow catkins.

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 - ORTHOSIA:

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Literary Ref:

Type Locality:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Noctuoidea
Noctuidae
Noctuinae
Orthosiini
ORTHOSIA Ochsenheimer 1816
Semiophora Stephens,1829
Orthosia (semiophora) gothica (Linnaeus, 1758)
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Noctua instabilis ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
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PHALAENA Noctua gothica (Linnaeus, 1758)
= Phalaena Noctua gothica Linnaeus, 1758
= Noctua nunatrum Schiffermüller, 1775
= Orthosia gothicina Herrich-Schäffer, 1849
= Monima gothica yeterufica Bryk, 1942
= Orthosia (Semiophora) gothica.
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Syst. Nat. (Edn 10) 1 : Title page : p.516 - n.107
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Europe