Broad-barred White

Noctuidae : Hadeninae

Broad-barred White

HECATERA bicolorata (Hufnagel, 1766)

Kind permission - © Tim Norriss

Life Cycle Guide

Description

Wingspan: 28-35mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - (excluding - Azores,Balearic Is.,Canary Is.,Corsica,Madeira & Malta) : Turkey : Iran : Israel : Lebanon : Syria : Kirghizia : Tajikistan : western Siberia : China.
UK Distribution: southern England - widespread and fairly well distributed,less so from Midlands northwards : mainland Scotland north to Inverness-shire and Isle of Man - local : Channel Isles - widespread and frequent
UK Conservation Status -

Common = > 300 10km squares

European Conservation Status -

Least Concern

Original Species Name -

Phalaena bicolorata (Hufnagel, 1766)

Type Species - Hecatera

Noctua dysodea ([Denis & Schiffermüller],1775)

Type Locality -

Germany-Berlin Region

Flight Period: May - July - univoltine - possible second generation in southern England in August
Habitat: Sand-dunes : Shingle Beaches : Rough Grassland : Chalk Downland : Gardens
Similar Species -

Unmistakable species

Larva: The 36mm final instar larva colour has both green and brown forms with diamond shaped blotches or outline along the dorsal area and a broad cream spiracular stripe or band.The head is lighter than body colour.
Pupa: Pupates in the soil in preparation for overwintering
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: The moth has a greyish white forewing with pronounced dark grey median fascia which starts wide at the straight costa ,reducing half way across the wing before finishing a third the original width at the dorsum,making this an unmistakable moth, although some features have a similarity with the Small Ranunculus.
The moth is attracted to light and feeds on flowers.

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.

Asteraceae - Compositae - Aster-Daisy - Sunflower Family
- Crepis capillaris - Smooth Hawksbeard
- Crepis vesicaria - Beaked Hawksbeard
- Hieracium pilosella - Mouse-ear Hawkweed
- Heiracium umbellatum - Hawkweed
- Hieracium vulgatum - Common Hawkweed
- Lactuca sativa - Lettuce
- Lactuca serriola - Prickly Lettuce
- Picris hieracioides - Hawkweed Ox-Tongue
- Prenanthes purpurea - Purple Lettuce
- Senecio erucifolius - Hoary Groundsel, Hoary ragwort
- Sonchus arvensis - Field Milk Thistle
- Sonchus oleraceus - Sow Thistle
Boraginaceae - Borage - Forget-me-not Family
- Echium vulgare - Viper's Bugloss
Valerianaceae - Valerian Family
- Centranthus ruber - Red Valerian

Larval Food Plants

Taxonomy

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Accepted Species Name:

Type Species - HECATERA:

Original Species Name:
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Literary Ref:

Type Locality:

Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Noctuoidea
Noctuidae
Hadeninae
Hadenini
HECATERA Guenëe, 1852
Hecatera bicolorata (Hufnagel, 1766)
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Noctua dysodea ([Denis & Schiffermüller],1775)
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PHALAENA bicolorata (Hufnagel, 1766)
= Aetheria bicolorata
= Phalaena bicolorata Hufnagel, 1766
= Noctua serena Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775
= Phalaena (Noctua) placida Esper, 1791
= Noctua hieracii Borkhausen, 1793
= Polia leuconota Eversmann, 1837
= Phalaena par Donovan, 1801
= Hecatera intermedia Walker, 1858
= Noctua monticola Duponchel, 1826
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Berlin. Magazin 3 (4) : Title Page : p.410 - n.89
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Germany-Berlin Region