Pterostoma palpina

Pterostoma palpina
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Notodontidae
Genus: Pterostoma
Species: P. palpina
Binomial name
Pterostoma palpina
(Clerck, 1759)

The Pale Prominent (Pterostoma palpina) is a moth from the family Notodontidae.

Larva

Distribution

The moth can be found in Europe and Central Asia (Palearctic ecozone).

Description

Pterostoma palpina has a wingspan of 35 to 52 mm. Beyond the black scaled tooth-like forewing projection the inner margin is notched. Long labial palps and tufts on the tail segment, giva an elongated appearance.The antennæ of the female are pectinated, but the teeth are shorter than those of the male; and the blackish streak on the wings are usually less defined. Except that some specimens are more strongly marked than others there is little variation.The larva is bluish green, with white dorsal and lateral lines, and a black edged yellow stripe along the spiracles; this stripe is marked with reddish on the three anterior segments.

Biology

The moth survives winter as a pupa.The imago looks like a piece of wood.The flight time ranges from the start of April to the start of September.

  1. ^ The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range.

Host Plants

The host plants are the willow and poplar.[1]

References

Further reading

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Palpen-Zahnspinner.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pterostoma palpina.