Noctuidae : Hadeninae
Shoulder-striped Wainscot
LEUCANIA (Leucania) comma (Linnaeus, 1761)
Shoulder-striped Wainscot
LEUCANIA (Leucania) comma (Linnaeus, 1761)
Life Cycle Guide
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)
Habitat: Fens : Marshes : Damp Woodland : Gardens
Similar Species -
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.
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
- Least Concern
- Phalaena comma Linnaeus, 1761
- Phalaena comma Linnaeus, 1761
- Sweden
Habitat: Fens : Marshes : Damp Woodland : Gardens
Similar Species -
- None
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.
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 Grass Family
- Dactylis glomerata - Cocks-foot
- Deschampsia flexuosa - Wavy Hair-grass
- Rumex acetosa - Common Sorrel - Spinach Dock - Narrow-leaved Dock
- Rumex acetosella - Sheeps Sorrel - Red Sorrel
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 - LEUCANIA: Original Species Name: Species Names: Literary Ref: Type Locality: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Noctuoidea Noctuidae Hadeninae Leucaniini LEUCANIA Ochsenheimer 1816 Leucania Ochsenheimer 1816 Leucania ( Leucania ) comma (Linnaeus, 1761) - Phalaena comma Linnaeus, 1761 - 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 - Fauna Suecica (Edn 2 enlarged) : Title Page : p.316 - n.1191 - Sweden |