Noctuidae : Hedeninae
Small Ranunculus
HECATERA dysodea ([Denis & Schiffermüller],1775)
Small Ranunculus
HECATERA dysodea ([Denis & Schiffermüller],1775)
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 32-36mm
Worldwide Distribution: Southern and Central Europe : Algeria : Morocco : Turkestan : Introduced into N America
UK Distribution: See Observastions
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Roadside Verges : Gardens : Allotments : Rough Open Ground : Chalk Pits
Similar Species -
Pupa: Pupates just below the soil
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: This moth used to be locally frequent in the south-east England,East Anglia,with small numbers recorded along the south coast and around the river Severn into South Wales.The moth had virtually disappeared by 1914 apart from the odd record up to 1939 and was not seen again until 1997 as a singleton at a moth trap in Kent.Records in Suffolk and Essex were recorded in the next couple of years. Today as a Red Data Book moth its true status is unknown but larvae have been found in NW Kent,Essex,Suffolk,Surrey,Middlesex,Hampshire,Newport & Monmouthshire which indicates the moth is dispersing as well as possible immigration.
The moth has orange and black mottling which is similar to both the Large Ranunculus and the Feathered Ranunculus but can be identified on size alone.
The moth is attracted to light and visits flowers
Worldwide Distribution: Southern and Central Europe : Algeria : Morocco : Turkestan : Introduced into N America
UK Distribution: See Observastions
UK Conservation Status -
- Red Data Book Species (RDBK) – species appears in the Red Data Book but the status is unknown, although thought to be rare
- Least Concern
- Noctua dysodea ([Denis & Schiffermüller],1775)
- Noctua dysodea ([Denis & Schiffermüller],1775)
- Austria - near Vienna
Habitat: Roadside Verges : Gardens : Allotments : Rough Open Ground : Chalk Pits
Similar Species -
- None
Pupa: Pupates just below the soil
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: This moth used to be locally frequent in the south-east England,East Anglia,with small numbers recorded along the south coast and around the river Severn into South Wales.The moth had virtually disappeared by 1914 apart from the odd record up to 1939 and was not seen again until 1997 as a singleton at a moth trap in Kent.Records in Suffolk and Essex were recorded in the next couple of years. Today as a Red Data Book moth its true status is unknown but larvae have been found in NW Kent,Essex,Suffolk,Surrey,Middlesex,Hampshire,Newport & Monmouthshire which indicates the moth is dispersing as well as possible immigration.
The moth has orange and black mottling which is similar to both the Large Ranunculus and the Feathered Ranunculus but can be identified on size alone.
The moth is attracted to light and visits flowers
Photo Gallery
Larva
Larval Food Plants Worldwide
Note:- larvae feed mostly on flowers and seeds of plants shown below
Note:- larvae feed mostly on flowers and seeds of plants shown below
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
- Lactuca sativa - Lettuce
- Lactuca serriola - Prickly Lettuce
- Wall Lettuce - Mycelis muralis
- Purple Lettuce - Prenanthes purpurea
- Note - Larvae also feed on the following plant families
- Asteraceae - Compositae - Artemesia - Wormwood, Hieracium - Hawkweed, Sonchus - Sow-thistle
- Note - Larvae also feed on the following plant families
Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Tribe: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species - HECATERA: Original Species Name: Species Names: Genus Names: Literary Ref: Type Locality: Subspecies: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Noctuoidea Noctuidae Hadeninae Hadenini HECATERA Guenëe, 1852 Hecatera dysodea ([Denis & Schiffremüller],1775) - Noctua dysodea ([Denis & Schiffermüller],1775) - NOCTUA dysodea ([Denis & Schiffermüller],1775) = Aetheria dysodea = Noctua dysodea Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775 = Phalaena Noctua ornata Villers, 1789 = Noctua spinaciae Vieweg, 1790 = Phalaena Noctua chrysozona Borkhausen, 1792 = Noctua ranunculina Haworth, 1809 = Polia caduca Herrich-Schäffer, [1850] = Polia subflava Warren, 1909 = Polia faroulti Rothschild, 1914 = Polia antitypina Rothschild, 1914 = Mamestra dysodea khala Rungs, 1972 - HECATERA Guenëe, 1852 = Aethria Hübner 1821 = Epipsammia Staudinger 1879 - Ankündung eines systematischen Werkes von den Schmetterlingen der Wienergegend : Title Page : p.72 - n.5 - Austria - near Vienna - H.d.nebulosa Hacker & Kautt, 1996 |