73.259 : 2148 : 9991
Noctuidae : Hadeninae

Pale Shining Brown

POLIA bombycina (Hufnagel, 1766)
Picture
Kind permission - © Tim Norriss
Life Cycle Guide
Picture
Description
Wingspan: 47 - 52mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - less (Portugal and the Mediterranean Islands ) eastwards to Japan,Russian Far East and Siberia
UK Distribution: Southern and South East England northwards to a line between the Wash and the Severn. Nationally scarce species and possible proposed Red Data Book species
UK Conservation Status -
  • NERC S.41 : 2008 (England) & NERC S.42 : 2009 (Wales) - Species "of principle importance for the purpose of conserving biodiversity"
  • Nationally Scarce B (Nb - BAP : 1997) = 31 - 100 10Km Squares
  • BAP : 2007 - Priority Species
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name -
  • Phalaena bombycina (Hufnagel, 1766)
Type Species - Polia
  • Phalaena nebulosa Hüfnagel, 1766
Type Locality -
  • Germany - Berlin Region
Flight Period: June - July
Habitat: Limestone and Chalk rough Grassland : Downland : Open Woodland
Similar Species -
  • None
Larva: The 50mm final instar larva is greyish brown with a thin pale dorsal line edged with grey and indistinct diamond shaped dorsal mottling.Spiracles are orange edged with black and the head is pale brown.
The larva is polyphagous feeding on a wide variety of herbaceous plants.
Overwinters as: Larva
Observations: This declining species is nationally scarce (Nb) and a possible proposed red data book species. Even as a southern and south east England species it hasn't been recorded in Hampshire since 1990.
The moth is pale brown to greyish brown with a reflective reddish shine of forewing when fresh, which clearly gives the moth its vernacular name.
The strongly marked subterminal line is light brown edged on the anterior side with the reddish brown markings.
Edged in white, the reniform stigmata and orbicular spot are clearly defined.
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 - POLIA:

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Subspecies:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Noctuoidea
Noctuidae
Hadeninae
Hadenini
POLIA Ochsenheimer 1816
Polia bombycina (Hufnagel, 1766)
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Phalaena nebulosa Hüfnagel, 1766
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PHALAENA bombycina (Hufnagel, 1766)
= Noctua advena Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775
= Noctua nitens Haworth, 1809
= Polia (Polia) bombycina
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Berlin. Magazin 3 (4) : Title Page : p.410 -  n.90
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Germany-Berlin Region
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P. b. puengeleri Lehmann, 1998
P. b. grisea (Butler, 1878) - SE Siberia,Japan
P. b. mongolica (Staudinger, 1896) - Mongolia
P. b. psammochroa Varga, 1974 - Mongolia