73.284 : 2172 : 9944
Noctuidae : Hedeninae

White Spot

HADENA (Hadena) albimacula (Borkhausen, 1792)
Picture
Kind permission & © David Shute
Life Cycle Guide
Picture
Description
Wingspan: 30-38mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - excluding (Azores,Balearic Is.,Canary Is.,Cyprus,Ireland,Luxembourg,Madeira,Malta & N Russia)
UK Distribution: Known from single coastal sites in Kent,Hampshire & Isle of Wight,Dorset & Devon : Jersey - very local
UK Conservation Status -
  • RDB2 - 1980/93 - Vulnerable = 6 - 10 10Km Squares
  • BAP : 2007 - Priority Species
  • NERC S.41 : 2008 (England) - Species "of principle importance for the purpose of conserving biodiversity"
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name -
  • Phalaena albimacula (Borkhausen, 1792)
Type Species - Hadena
  • Noctua capsincola ([Denis & Schiffermüller],1775)
Type Locality -
  • Vienna Region
Flight Period: May - end July - univoltine : August - mid September - possible partial second brood or delayed emergence
Habitat: Coastal sites where host plant Nottingham Catchfly grows
Similar Species -
  • None
Larva: The 36mm final instar larva body is brown or brown orange with rearward facing black chevrons along the dorsal line on each segment and faint subdorsal lines either as thin line or broken dots.Below the spiracular line is lighter than above,the spiracles showing very clearly ringed in black. The head is brown with black stripes.
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: This red data book species and species of principle importance for the purpose of conserving biodiversity under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan is vulnerable, only appearing in a few old sites along the Kent,south and south west coasts.

The straight sided white blotch adjacent to the white,black edged orbicular spot and brownish forewing colouration is diagnostic for this species.

The main host plant for this moth is Nottingham Catchfly and only sites with this plant have breeding populations although the other plants shown below have been used successfully in breeding the moth.
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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Subspecies:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Noctuoidea
Noctuidae
Hadeninae
Hadenini
HADENA Schrank, 1802
Hadena Schrank, 1802
Hadena (Hadena) albimacula (Borkhausen, 1792)
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Noctua capsincola ([Denis & Schiffermüller],1775)
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PHALAENA albimacula (Borkhausen, 1792)
= Noctua concinna Hübner, [1803]
= Harmodia conserta Hübner, [1820]
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HADENA Schrank, 1802 Genus
Hadena Schrank, 1802 Subgenus
= Dianthoecia Boisduval 1834
= Caeshadena Beck 1991
= Maghadena Beck 1991
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Naturgeschichte der europäischen Schmetterlinge ... v. 4. Borkhausen, Moritz Balthasar, 1760-1806 : Title Page : p.149 - 151 - n.60 - PHALAENA albimacula
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Vienna Region
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H. a. excelsa Hacker, 1996
H. a. nivalis Hacker, 1996
H. a. fantastica Hacker & Fibiger, 1999