Poplar Kitten
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| Poplar Kitten | ||||||||||||||
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| Furcula bifida Brahm, 1787 |
The Poplar Kitten (Furcula bifida) is a moth of the family Notodontidae. It is distributed throughout Europe.
This species has white forewings with a broad brown band in the centre and brown dots along the margin. The hindwings are also white with brown dots along the margin. The wingspan is 44-48 mm. It flies at night from May to July and is attracted to light, the male more so than the female.
The larva is like a small version of the bizarre-looking larva of the Puss Moth, with the last pair of prolegs modified into two long "tails". It feeds on poplar and aspen, and occasionally on willow. The species overwinters as a pupa in a cocoon on the trunk of its food plant.
- ^ The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range.
[edit] Subspecies
- F. b. bifida
- F. b. lype
- F. b. urocera
[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
