Cucullia lactucae

Cucullia lactucae
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Cucullia
Species: C. lactucae
Binomial name
Cucullia lactucae
(Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)
Synonyms
  • Noctua lactucae

The Lettuce Shark (Cucullia lactucae) is a species of moth of the Noctuidae family. It is found in most of Europe, Turkey, the Altai mountains and the Caucasus.

Caterpillar (orange form)
Caterpillar (yellow form)

The wingspan is 44–53 mm. Adults are on wing from May to July in one generation in most of the range. In the south, there is a second generation with adults on wing from August to September.

The larvae feed on Asteraceae species, Sonchus arvensis, Sonchus asper, Lactuca sativa and Lactuca muralis.

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