| Shoulder-striped Wainscot | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Noctuidae |
| Genus: | Leucania |
| Species: | L. comma |
| Binomial name | |
| Leucania comma Linnaeus, 1761 |
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| Synonyms | |
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The Shoulder-striped Wainscot (Leucania comma) is a moth of the family Noctuidae. Some authors place it in the genus Mythimna. It is found throughout Europe.
The forewings of this species share the pale buffish ground colour and prominent venation of other "wainscots" but has much stronger dark markings than most of its relatives, including a thick black basal streak which gives it its common name. The hindwings are dingy grey or brown with lighter fringes. The wingspan is 35-42 mm. This species flies at night in June and July [1] and is attracted to light and sugar.
The larva feeds on various grasses including Deschampsia and Festuca. The species overwinters as a full-grown larva in a cell beneath the surface of the soil.