Noctuidae : Hadeninae
The Clay
MYTHIMNA (Hyphilare) ferrago (Fabricius, 1787)
The Clay
MYTHIMNA (Hyphilare) ferrago (Fabricius, 1787)
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 35-40mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe : Morocco : Algeria : Turkey : Israel : Lebanon : Iraq : Iran : central Asia : western part of temperate Asia
UK Distribution: Resident : Common throughout England,Wales,Ireland,Isle of Man,Channel Islands & most of Scotland but not in the Orkney or Shetland Isles.
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Woodland : Gardens : In most habitat types.
Similar Species:-
Larva: August-May.Side view-Varying width dark brown lateral line with feint thin yellow line beneath,background colour constant until feet level which is lighter brown.Top view-central feint yellow lateral line with varying width black line both sides.
Pupa: Pupates in a cocoon underground
Overwinters as: Larva down amongst the vegetation
Observations: The Clay is similar to to the White Point M. albipuncta in forewing ground colour which ranges from orange brown to straw coloured but the white wing spots are less rounded and and with a clearly defined submarginal cross-line of spots. On the underside of the male abdomen is a black triangular or chevron shaped blotch on both moths.
The moth is attracted to light and can be found feeding on flowers.
Worldwide Distribution: Europe : Morocco : Algeria : Turkey : Israel : Lebanon : Iraq : Iran : central Asia : western part of temperate Asia
UK Distribution: Resident : Common throughout England,Wales,Ireland,Isle of Man,Channel Islands & most of Scotland but not in the Orkney or Shetland Isles.
UK Conservation Status -
- Common = >300 10Km Squares
- Least Concern
- Noctua ferrago (Fabricius 1787)
- Phalaena turca (Linnaeus, 1761)
- Germany-Kiliae
Habitat: Woodland : Gardens : In most habitat types.
Similar Species:-
- White Point Mythimna albipuncta ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
Larva: August-May.Side view-Varying width dark brown lateral line with feint thin yellow line beneath,background colour constant until feet level which is lighter brown.Top view-central feint yellow lateral line with varying width black line both sides.
Pupa: Pupates in a cocoon underground
Overwinters as: Larva down amongst the vegetation
Observations: The Clay is similar to to the White Point M. albipuncta in forewing ground colour which ranges from orange brown to straw coloured but the white wing spots are less rounded and and with a clearly defined submarginal cross-line of spots. On the underside of the male abdomen is a black triangular or chevron shaped blotch on both moths.
The moth is attracted to light and can be found feeding 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
- Taraxacum officinale - Common Dandelion
- Taraxacum officinale - Common Dandelion
- Caryophyllaceae - Pink and Carnation Family
- Cerastium holosteoides - Common Mouse-ear - Chickweed
- Cerastium holosteoides - Common Mouse-ear - Chickweed
- Poaceae - Gramineae - True Grasses Family
- Dactylis glomerata - Cock's-foot:Orchard grass
- Deschampsia flexuosa - Wavy Hair-grass
- POA annua - Annual Meadow Grass
- Poa nemoralis - Wood Meadow-grass
- Poa pratensis - Smooth Meadow-grass - Common Meadow-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: Synonyms: Subspecies: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Noctuoidea Noctuidae Hadeninae Leucaniini MYTHIMNA Ochsenheimer, 1816 Hyphilare Hübner, [1821] Mythimna (Hyphilare) ferrago (Fabricius, 1787) - Phalaena turca (Linnaeus, 1761) - NOCTUA ferrago (Fabricius 1787) = Phalaena (Noctua) lythargyria Esper, 1788 = Leucania argyritis Rambur, 1858 = Mythimna grisea Stephens, 1829 = Leucania meridionalis Dannehl, 1926 = Aletia ferrago = Mythimna (Hyphilare) ferrago. - Mantissa Insectorum 2 : Title Page : p.160 - n.170 - Germany-Kiliae - Phalaena lythagyria Esper 1788 Aletia ferrago Leucania lithargyria var. anargyria Boisduval, 1840 Leucania argyritis Rambur, 1858 Mythimna grisea Stephens, 1829 Leucania meridionalis Dannehl, 1926 Leucania lithargyria Esper, 1788 - M.f.caliginata Hreblay, 1999 |