Black Arches
| Lymantria monacha Black Arches | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Male Black Arches | |
 | |
| Female (dark variant) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lymantriidae |
| Genus: | Lymantria |
| Species: | L. monacha |
| Binomial name | |
| Lymantria monacha (Linnaeus, 1758) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
The Black Arches or Nun Moth, Lymantria monacha[1] is a small Palaearctic moth.
Description
The moth has white forewings with black connected wavy arches which gives the moth its name. The light brown hindwings have white fringes having black spots. Female is larger and has elongated wings. The moth also has a characteristic biscuit-coloured abdomen with a black band. The moth has a wingspan of 4 to 5 cm.[1]
Range
Europe. British Isles. Palearctic regions of Asia. Japan.[1]
Life cycle
The caterpillar of the Black Arches is grey and hirsute. It has black lines and spots on its back.[1]
Foodplants
Oak (Quercus) and other broad-leaved trees, and Pinus.[1]
Gallery
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Illustration from John Curtis's British Entomology Volume 5
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Caterpillar
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Pupa
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Illustration of a mounted specimen
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Fighting the outbreak of Lymantria monacha in Sweden 1898-1902
Cited references
References
- Carter, David (1992) Butterflies and Moths. Dorling Kindersley Handbooks, London. ISBN 0-7513-2707-7.