73.301 : 2205 : 10,011
Noctuidae : Hadeninae

Shoulder-striped Wainscot

LEUCANIA (Leucania) comma (Linnaeus, 1761)
Picture
Kind permission - © Tim Norriss
Life Cycle Guide
Picture
Description
Wingspan: 35-42mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - excluding (Azores,Balearic Is.,Canary Is.,Corsica,Crete,Cyprus,Madeira,Malta,Portugal & Southern Russia)
UK Distribution: southern Britain,Scilly Isles,north to southern Scotland,Isle of Man & Ireland - Common : Western Scottish Mainland - local : Channel Isles - locally frequent
UK Conservation Status - (Mythimna comma)
  • NERC S.41 : 2008 (England) & NERC S.42 : 2009 (Wales) - Species "of principle importance for the purpose of conserving biodiversity
  • Northern Ireland - Priority Species : 2010
  • BAP : 2007 - Priority Species
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name -
  • Phalaena comma Linnaeus, 1761
Type Species - Leucania
  • Phalaena comma Linnaeus, 1761
Type Locality -
  • Sweden
Flight Period: South - early May - mid August - Univoltine
Habitat: Fens : Marshes : Damp Woodland : Gardens
Similar Species -
  • None
Larva: The 43mm final instar larva body is various shades of light brown with a thin grey edged dorsal line,fine subdorsal lines edged with blackish mark on each segment,and a lighter brown spiracular band edged with fine white lines and black spiracles. Head is reddish brown with two dark vertical stripes.
Pupa: Pupa formed during April and May
Overwinters as: larva overwinters within subterranean cocoon.
Observations: The black basal shoulder stripes reaching almost half length of forewing,light brown costal streak and white single vein which starts at base before fanning out into a series of white veins at centre of forewing to termen is diagnostic for this species.
Although similar to the Devonshire Wainscot the moth has shorter and thinner black shoulder stripes,central white vein nor clear and with a curved row of black spots towards termen.

Although common in some parts of Britain the moth is still a species of conservation concern in England,Wales and Ireland under the UK biodiversity Action Plan.
The moth is attracted to sugar,flowers and light.

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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Type Species - LEUCANIA:

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Type Locality:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Noctuoidea
Noctuidae
Hadeninae
Leucaniini
LEUCANIA Ochsenheimer 1816
Leucania Ochsenheimer 1816
Leucania ( Leucania ) comma (Linnaeus, 1761)
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Phalaena comma Linnaeus, 1761
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PHALAENA comma Linnaeus, 1761
= Mythimna comma Linnaeus, 1761
= Phalaena Noctua comma Linnaeus, 1761
= Noctua turbida Hübner, [1803]
= Noctua congener Hübner, [1817]
= Leucania suffusa Tutt, 1888
= Leucania nigrofasciata Hampson, 1894
= Cirphis propensa Püngeler, 1906
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Fauna Suecica (Edn 2 enlarged) : Title Page : p.316 - n.1191
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Sweden