Apamea lithoxylaea

Light arches
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Noctuidae
Tribe: Apameini
Genus: Apamea
Species: A. lithoxylaea
Binomial name
Apamea lithoxylaea
(Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)

Apamea lithoxylaea, the light arches, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is distributed throughout Europe, the Caucasus, Armenia, Asia Minor and Turkey, and ranges east to the Altai Mountains.

Museum specimen

This species has a wingspan of 43 to 50 mm. Forewing whitish ochreous, faintly washed with pale brown; veins brown before termen; inner and outer lines pale, brown-edged, more or less interrupted except on costa; the inner with sharp long teeth outwards between veins, the outer marked by a double row of brown vein dots; a broad diffuse brown median shade ending on submedian fold where it is margined distinctly with brown; submarginal line acutely dentate, preceded by olive brown wedgeshaped marks, and followed by darker brown dentate marks to margin, strongest on both folds; orbicular and reniform hardly marked, separated by the brown median shade; hindwing whitish ochreous,with the veins and cell spot brown; a diffuse brownish submarginal cloud. See also the very similar Apamea sublustris.

It flies at night from June to August and is attracted to light and sugar. It usually produces a single brood from June to mid-August, but it may have a second brood in September to November.

The larva is ochreous or greenish grey, with dark tubercles; head and thoracic plate black. Itfeeds on various grasses, especially the stems and roots.[1]

References

  1. ↑ "Robinson, G. S., et al. 2010. HOSTS - A Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants. Natural History Museum, London.".
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