Cucullia absinthii

Cucullia absinthii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Cucullia
Species: C. absinthii
Binomial name
Cucullia absinthii
(Linnaeus, 1761)
Synonyms
  • Phalaena absinthii Linnaeus, 1761
  • Cucullia punctigera Hufnagel, 1766
  • Cucullia clausa Walker, 1857

The Wormwood (Cucullia absinthii) is a moth of the Noctuidae family. It is found from Europe to the Caucasus, Turkey, northern Iran, western Siberia, the Altai mountains, Tien-Shan and Tarbagatai.

Caterpillar

Description

See glossary for terms used

The wingspan is 32–40 mm. Forewing long and narrow with produced apex; abdomen elongate especially in male, with lengthened anal tufts.Forewing grey with darker, clear markings;inner line angled ouwards, outer line distinct only above inner margin, preceded by a black blotch on submedian fold;the edges of the inner line broadly black; a black streak from base below cell; the veins black before termen; short black dashes below veins 5 and 2; orbicular stigma and reniform stigmata marked by black spots;a black blotch from costa between the stigmata:terminal area uniformly grey.Hindwing dingy whitish, becoming fuscous before termen.[1]

Biology

Adults are on wing from the start of June to the end of August. There is one generation per year.

The larvae feed on flowers and seeds of Artemisia absinthium and Artemisia vulgaris.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Seitz, A. Ed., 1914 Die Großschmetterlinge der Erde, Verlag Alfred Kernen, Stuttgart Band 3: Abt. 1, Die Großschmetterlinge des palaearktischen Faunengebietes, Die palaearktischen eulenartigen Nachtfalter, 1914
  2. ↑ "Robinson, G. S., P. R. Ackery, I. J. Kitching, G. W. Beccaloni & L. M. Hernández, 2010. HOSTS - A Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants. Natural History Museum, London.".

External links