Copper Underwing
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| Copper Underwing | ||||||||||||||
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 Copper Underwing Moth
 Copper Underwing Larva
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| Amphipyra pyramidea Linnaeus, 1758 |
The Copper Underwing (Amphipyra pyramidea) is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is distributed across the Palaearctic region.
This species has a wingspan of 47-54 mm, the female usually slightly larger than the male. The forewings are brown marked with paler fascia and a pale, dark-centred stigma. The hindwings are a rich bright copper colour. It is very similar to Svensson's Copper Underwing (Amphipyra berbera) but identification is usually fairly straightforward by looking at the underside of the hindwings: This species has a pale area in the centre, contrasting with much darker marginal areas while in A. berbera the whole underwing is more or less uniform in colour. A pyramidea flies at night from August to October and is attracted to light and strongly to sugar.
The larva is green with white markings and a pointed hump at the rear end. It feeds on a variety of trees and shrubs (see list below). The species overwinters as an egg.
- ^ The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range.
[edit] Recorded food plants
- Fraxinus - Ash
- Ligustrum - Privet
- Lonicera - Honeysuckle
- Malus - Apple
- Quercus - Oak
- Rhododendron
- Rosa - Rose
- Sorbus - Wild Service Tree
- Syringa - Lilac
[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
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