Noctuidae : Hadeninae
Smoky Wainscot
MYTHIMNA (Mythimna) impura (Hübner, [1808])
Smoky Wainscot
MYTHIMNA (Mythimna) impura (Hübner, [1808])
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 31-38mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe to Siberia and Mongolia
UK Distribution: Common throughout Britain,Isle of Man,Ireland : Channel Isles-Widespread and abundant
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Grassland habitats : Gardens : Sand Dunes : Rough Ground : Open woodland
Similar Species:-
Larva feeds at night.
Pupa: Pupates in an underground cocoon
Overwinters as: Small larva
Observations: The moth is straw coloured with a prominent vein running from the base to the subterminal line,dusted both sides in smoky grey. The moth has other varying degrees of dustings across the forewing and along with the dusky grey hindwings, identifies this moth from its similar species, the Common Wainscot M. pallens which has white forewings.
In the south there is a patial second brood which last into early October as opposed to the single generation found further north.
The moth is attracted to the light trap,feeds on flowers and is also attracted to sugar.
Worldwide Distribution: Europe to Siberia and Mongolia
UK Distribution: Common throughout Britain,Isle of Man,Ireland : Channel Isles-Widespread and abundant
UK Conservation Status -
- Common = >300 10Km Squares
- Least Concern
- Noctua impura Hübner, 1808
- Phalaena turca (Linnaeus, 1761)
- Europe
Habitat: Grassland habitats : Gardens : Sand Dunes : Rough Ground : Open woodland
Similar Species:-
- Common Wainscot Mythimna pallens (Linnaeus, 1758)
Larva feeds at night.
Pupa: Pupates in an underground cocoon
Overwinters as: Small larva
Observations: The moth is straw coloured with a prominent vein running from the base to the subterminal line,dusted both sides in smoky grey. The moth has other varying degrees of dustings across the forewing and along with the dusky grey hindwings, identifies this moth from its similar species, the Common Wainscot M. pallens which has white forewings.
In the south there is a patial second brood which last into early October as opposed to the single generation found further north.
The moth is attracted to the light trap,feeds on flowers and is also attracted to sugar.
Photo Gallery
Larval Food Plants
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.
- Cyperaceae - Sedge Family
- Carex nigra - Common Sedge
- Juncaceae - Reed Family
- Luzula pilosa - Hairy Wood-rush
- Poaceae - Gramineae - True Grasses Family
- Dactylis glomerata - Cock's-foot - Orchard grass
- Deschampsia cespitosa - Tufted hair-grass - Tussock grass
- Leymus arenarius - Lyme Grass
- Phragmites australis - Common Reed
- Note - Larvae also feed on the following plant families
- Poaceae - Gramineae - Alopecurus - Foxtail Grasses
- Note - Larvae also feed on the following plant families
Larval Food Plants
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Taxonomy
Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Tribe: Genus: Subgenus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species - MYTHIMNA: Original Species Name: Species Names: Genus Names: Literary Ref: Type Locality: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Noctuoidea Noctuidae Hadeninae Leucaniini MYTHIMNA Ochsenheimer, 1816 mythimna Ochsenheimer, 1816 Mythimna (Mythimna) impura (Hübner, [1808]) - Phalaena turca (Linnaeus, 1761) - NOCTUA impura (Hübner, [1808]) = Noctua fuliginosa Haworth, 1809 = Noctua punctina Haworth, 1809 = Leucania impura scotica Cockayne, 1944 = Aletia impura = Mythimna (Mythimna) impura. - = MYTHIMNA Ochsenheimer 1816 = Aletia Hübner 1821 - Sammlung europäischer Schmetterlinge / errichtet von Jacob Hübner in Augsburg. 1761-1826 : Lepidoptera 1V : Noctua 11. 111 : pl. 85, f. 396 - Europe |