True Lover's Knot

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True Lover's Knot
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Lepidoptera Family: Noctuidae Genus: Lycophotia Species: L. porphyrea
Binomial name
Lycophotia porphyrea Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775

The True Lover's Knot (Lycophotia porphyrea) is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found throughout Europe wherever its food plants grow. It is traditionally thought of as a species of heathland and moorland but it can often be found in places where heather and its relatives are in garden cultivation.

This is a small but attractive species, with a wingspan of 26-34 mm (individuals hatched in higher altitudes tend to be smaller than those from the lowlands). The forewings are brown, often tinged with purple and marked with a complex pattern of white markings which are supposed to recall a true lover's knot. The hindwings are grey or buff. It flies at night from June to August ^[1] and is attracted to light and the flowers of its food plants.

The larva is reddish-brown with pale lines and feeds on heather and related genera (eg Erica). The species overwinters as a larva.

1. ^ The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range.

[edit] References

• Chinery, Michael Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe 1986 (Reprinted 1991)
• Skinner, Bernard Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles 1984