Noctuidae : Hadeninae
Mathew's Wainscot
MYTHIMNA (Mythimna) favicolor (Barrett, 1896)
Mathew's Wainscot
MYTHIMNA (Mythimna) favicolor (Barrett, 1896)
Kind permission - © Tim Norriss
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 32 - 42mm
Worldwide Distribution: Great Britain : Denmark : Germany
UK Distribution: Nationally scarce on saltmarshes found in parts of S & SE England : found inland in Hampshire,Surrey and E Anglia
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Coastal Saltmarshes
Similar Species -
Common Wainscot - Mythimna pallens - (Linnaeus, 1758)
Larva: The 44mm final instar larva is similar to m.pallens but coulouration is much richer.The larva is ochre to pale brown with a dark edged dorsal line and two pairs of subdorsal lines.Just above the spiracles is a darker brown longitudinal band.Head is light brown with darker brown stripes.
Overwinters as: Larva
Pupa: Pupates underground
Observations: There is much speculation as to whether this is a separate species in its own right or a salmarsh inhabiting race of the Common Wainscot as cross breeding is known and the genitalia of the two species is similar.The similar species is straw coloured to reddish ochreous whereas this species is pale buff to deep sandy orange.The forewing of this moth is smooth whilst the similar species is striate.
Hindwing is off-white with grey streaks.
The moth is attracted to light,sugar and visits flowers of the grasses and rushes.
Worldwide Distribution: Great Britain : Denmark : Germany
UK Distribution: Nationally scarce on saltmarshes found in parts of S & SE England : found inland in Hampshire,Surrey and E Anglia
UK Conservation Status -
- Nationally Scarce B (Nb - BAP : 1997) = 31 - 100 10Km Squares
- Restricted
- Leucania favicolor (Barrett, 1896)
- Phalaena turca (Linnaeus, 1761)
- England - Coast of Suffolk
Habitat: Coastal Saltmarshes
Similar Species -
Common Wainscot - Mythimna pallens - (Linnaeus, 1758)
Larva: The 44mm final instar larva is similar to m.pallens but coulouration is much richer.The larva is ochre to pale brown with a dark edged dorsal line and two pairs of subdorsal lines.Just above the spiracles is a darker brown longitudinal band.Head is light brown with darker brown stripes.
Overwinters as: Larva
Pupa: Pupates underground
Observations: There is much speculation as to whether this is a separate species in its own right or a salmarsh inhabiting race of the Common Wainscot as cross breeding is known and the genitalia of the two species is similar.The similar species is straw coloured to reddish ochreous whereas this species is pale buff to deep sandy orange.The forewing of this moth is smooth whilst the similar species is striate.
Hindwing is off-white with grey streaks.
The moth is attracted to light,sugar and visits flowers of the grasses and rushes.
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.
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.
- Poaceae - Gramineae - True Grasses Family
- Dactylis glomerata - Cock's-foot - Orchard grass
- Poa annua - Annual Meadow Grass
- Puccinellia maritima - Common Saltmarsh-grass
- Dactylis glomerata - Cock's-foot - Orchard grass
Larval Food Plants
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Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Tribe: Genus: Subgenus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species - MYTHIMNA: Original Species Name: Species Names: Literary Ref: Type Locality: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Noctuoidea Noctuidae Hadeninae Leucaniini MYTHIMNA Ochsenheimer, 1816 mythimna Ochsenheimer, 1816 Mythimna (Mythimna) favicolor (Barrett, 1896) - Phalaena turca (Linnaeus, 1761) - LEUCANIA favicolor (Barrett, 1896) = Aletia favicolor = Mythimna (Mythimna) favicolor - The Entomologist Monthly Magazine : 32 : Second Series - Volume V11 : Title Page : p.99 - England - Coast of Suffolk |