Grey chi

Antitype chi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Antitype
Species: A. chi
Binomial name
Antitype chi
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
  • Phalaena chi Linnaeus, 1758
  • Phalaena Noctua chi Linnaeus, 1758
  • Polia olivacea Stephens, 1829
  • Polia chi f. caerulescens Hartig, 1924
  • Polia chi r. marsicana Dannehl, 1929

The grey chi (Antitype chi) is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is distributed throughout Europe, although it is not present in southern Spain and Greece, as well as northern Fennoscandia. It is also found in northern and central Asia, but not in Japan.

Front view
Mounted
Caterpillar

This species has grey forewings speckled with black markings which vary in intensity (with the female generally more heavily marked than the male). There is usually a bold cross-shaped black mark in the centre of the wing which has been likened to the Greek letter chi and gives the species its common name. The hindwings are white in the male, dirty grey in the female. This moth flies at night in August and September and is attracted to light and sugar.

The larva is bluish green with green and white lines down each side and feeds on the leaves and flowers of a variety of plants (see list below). The species overwinters as an egg.

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

Subspecies

Recorded food plants

See.[1]

References

  1. ↑ "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.".
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