True Lover's Knot
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| True Lover's Knot | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
| 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 from the latter half of June to the beginning of 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.
[edit] References
[edit] Reading
- Chinery, Michael Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe 1986 (Reprinted 1991)
- Skinner, Bernard Colour Identification Guide to the Moths of the British Isles 1984
 |
This moth-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
