Brahmaea europaea

Last updated

Brahmaea europaea
(MHNT) Brahmaea europaea - both sides.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Brahmaeidae
Genus: Brahmaea
Species:
B. europaea
Binomial name
Brahmaea europaea
(Hartig, 1963)
Synonyms
  • Brahmaea europaeaHartig, 1963
  • Acanthobrahmaea europaeaHartig, 1963

Brahmaea (Acanthobrahmaea) europaea, the European owl moth, is a lepidopteran from the family Brahmaeidae, in the subgenus Acanthobrahmaea. [1]

Contents

Taxonomy

B. europaea is the sole species in the genus Brahmaea in Europe. Most members of the genus are found in eastern Asia. [1] The species can be identified by wing veins in adults and pupal dorsal spines on abdominal segments. [1] The species was originally described as Acanthobrahmaea europaea in 1963, but Acanthobrahmaea later became a subgenus. [1] [2]

Distribution and habitat

Range Map Acanthobrahmaea europaea.svg
Range

The species can only be found in southern Italy. Their habitat consists of broad leaf woods in mountainous areas at elevations of 200 to 800 metres, in semi-deciduous and undisturbed woodlands. [1] Habitat fragmentation, light pollution, clearing of forest underbrush, and collection of rare species are likely factors affecting B. europaea's distribution and abundance, and contribute to its current IUCN endangered status. [1] Wild boar can also consume both host plants and pupae in the ground. [1]

Life cycle

Adults fly from late March to early May. Adults are active after sunset and are cold-tolerant enough to be seen flying during snowfall. [1] Adults lay eggs on the trunks of plants within Oleaceae, including Fraxinus angustifolia , Phyllirea latifolia , and Ligustrum vulgare in captivity. [1]

Eggs hatch at the end of March and April 12 to 15 days after oviposition. The larvae move to the top of the plant and move downwards as leaves are consumed. Larvae may move to other plants depending on size. Larvae undergo five instars, pupate on the ground where they overwinter, and emerge as adults the following spring. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tansy beetle</span> Species of beetle

The tansy beetle is a species of leaf beetle. The common name derives from its main foodplant, Tansy, but it can also use other wetland plants such as Gypsywort and Water Mint. It measures 7.7–10.5 mm in length and has a characteristic bright metallic green colouration, with pitted elytra and a coppery tinge. In addition to the nominotypical subspecies, which repeats the specific name, C. graminis graminis, there are five further distinct subspecies of Tansy beetle, which, collectively, have a Palearctic distribution, although in the majority of countries where it is found the species is declining. In the United Kingdom it is designated as 'Nationally Rare'. The stronghold population here is located along the banks of the river Ouse in York, North Yorkshire. Other, small, fenland populations exist at Woodwalton Fen and at Welney Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) reserve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High brown fritillary</span> Species of butterfly

Fabriciana adippe, the high brown fritillary, is a large and brightly colored butterfly of the family Nymphalidae, native to Europe and across the Palearctic to Japan. It is known for being Great Britain's most threatened butterfly and is listed as a vulnerable species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Like other fritillaries it is dependent on warm climates with violet-rich flora.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marsh fritillary</span> Species of butterfly

The marsh fritillary is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. Commonly distributed in the Palearctic region, the marsh fritillary's common name derives from one of its several habitats, marshland. The prolonged larval stage lasts for approximately seven to eight months and includes a period of hibernation over the winter. The larvae are dependent on the host food plant Succisa pratensis not only for feeding but also for hibernation, because silken webs are formed on the host plant as the gregarious larvae enter hibernation. Females lay eggs in batches on the host plant and are, like other batch-layers, selective about the location of oviposition because offspring survivorship levels for batch-layers are more tied to location selection than they are for single-egg layers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beautiful demoiselle</span> Species of damselfly

The beautiful demoiselle is a species of damselfly belonging to the family Calopterygidae. It is found in Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia. It is often found along fast-flowing waters.

<i>Manduca quinquemaculata</i> Species of moth

Manduca quinquemaculata, the five-spotted hawkmoth, is a brown and gray hawk moth of the family Sphingidae. The caterpillar, often referred to as the tomato hornworm, can be a major pest in gardens; they get their name from a dark projection on their posterior end and their use of tomatoes as host plants. Tomato hornworms are closely related to the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta. This confusion arises because caterpillars of both species have similar morphologies and feed on the foliage of various plants from the family Solanaceae, so either species can be found on tobacco or tomato leaves. Because of this, the plant on which the caterpillar is found does not indicate its species.

<i>Battus philenor</i> Species of butterfly

Battus philenor, the pipevine swallowtail or blue swallowtail, is a swallowtail butterfly found in North America and Central America. This butterfly is black with iridescent-blue hindwings. They are found in many different habitats, but are most commonly found in forests. Caterpillars are often black or red, and feed on compatible plants of the genus Aristolochia. They are known for sequestering acids from the plants they feed on in order to defend themselves from predators by being poisonous when consumed. The adults feed on the nectar of a variety of flowers. Some species of Aristolochia are toxic to the larvae, typically tropical varieties. While enthusiasts have led citizen efforts to conserve pipevine swallowtails in their neighborhoods on the West coast, the butterfly has not been the subject of a formal program in conservation or protected in legislation. The butterfly is however of "Special Concern" in Michigan, which is on the Northern limit of its range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garden tiger moth</span> Species of moth

The garden tiger moth or great tiger moth is a moth of the family Erebidae. Arctia caja is a northern species found in the US, Canada, and Europe. The moth prefers cold climates with temperate seasonality, as the larvae overwinter, and preferentially chooses host plants that produce pyrrolizidine alkaloids. However, garden tiger moths are generalists, and will pick many different plants to use as larval host plants.

<i>Spodoptera littoralis</i> Species of moth

Spodoptera littoralis, also referred to as the African cotton leafworm or Egyptian cotton leafworm or Mediterranean brocade, is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae. S. littoralis is found widely in Africa, Mediterranean Europe and Middle Eastern countries. It is a highly polyphagous organism that is a pest of many cultivated plants and crops. As a result, this species was assigned the label of A2 quarantine pest by the EPPO and was cautioned as a highly invasive species in the United States. The devastating impacts caused by these pests have led to the development of both biological and chemical control methods. This moth is often confused with Spodoptera litura.

<i>Eulithis populata</i> Species of moth

Eulithis populata, the northern spinach, is a moth of the genus Eulithis in the family Geometridae.

<i>Acronicta rumicis</i> Species of moth

Acronicta rumicis, the knot grass moth, is a species of moth which is part of the genus Acronicta and family Noctuidae. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. It is found in the Palearctic region. A. rumicis lives and feeds on plants located in wide-open areas. At its larval stage, as a caterpillar, it causes such a large impact as a crop pest that it has received much attention and research. A. rumicis feeds on maize, strawberries and other herbaceous plants.

<i>Helicoverpa punctigera</i> Species of moth

Helicoverpa punctigera, the native budworm, Australian bollworm or Chloridea marmada, is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae. This species is native to Australia. H. punctigera are capable of long-distance migration from their inland Australian habitat towards coastal regions and are an occasional migrant to New Zealand.

<i>Brahmaea wallichii</i> Species of moth

Brahmaea wallichii, also known as the owl moth, is a moth from the family Brahmaeidae, the Brahmin moths, and one of its largest species. It is found in the north of India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, China, Taiwan, and Japan. The owl moth is nocturnal. The wingspan is about 90–160 millimetres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Safflower skipper</span> Species of skipper butterfly

The safflower skipper is a species of skipper butterfly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muschampia floccifera</span> Species of butterfly

Muschampia floccifera, the tufted skipper or tufted marbled skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae.

<i>Broscus cephalotes</i> Species of beetle

Broscus cephalotes is a species of nocturnal, coastal ground beetle found throughout most of Europe. Its range spans from western Europe into western Siberia. The species was introduced recently in the eastern areas of Canada and has spread farther south and west into the United States. As a member of the family Carabidae, Broscus cephalotes is generally considered beneficial to humans due to its predatory habits. Their varied diet often includes crop pests and other small organisms.

<i>Pterolonche inspersa</i> Species of moth

Pterolonche inspersa, sometimes called the brown-winged knapweed root moth, is a small moth of the family Pterolonchidae.

<i>Lymantria dispar dispar</i> Subspecies of moth (gypsy moth)

Lymantria dispar dispar, commonly known as the gypsy moth, European gypsy moth, LDD moth, or North American gypsy moth or spongy moth, is a species of moth in the family Erebidae. It has a native range that extends over Europe and parts of Africa, and is an invasive species in North America.

<i>Scaptomyza flava</i> Species of fly

Scaptomyza flava is an herbivorous leaf mining fly species in the family Drosophilidae. In Latin, flava means golden or yellow. The fly is amber to dark brown in color and approximately 2.5 mm in length. In Europe and New Zealand the larvae are pests of plants in the order Brassicales, including arugula, brassicas, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, cabbage, canola, cauliflower, horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, napa cabbage, nasturtium, radish, rapini, rutabaga, turnip, wasabi and watercress. In New Zealand, its range has expanded to include host species that are intercropped with salad brassicas, including gypsophila, otherwise known as baby's breath, which is in the pink family (Caryophyllaceae) and the pea in the Fabaceae. More typically, S. flava is oligophagous within the Brassicales. Scaptomyza are unusual within the Drospophilidae because the group includes species that are truly herbivorous. Other herbivorous drosophilids include D. suzukii, which attacks fruit very early during ripening and species within the genus Lordiphosa, from Africa and Asia, which also include leaf miners. Most drosophilids feed on microbes associated with decaying vegetation and sap fluxes.

<i>Anisodactylus binotatus</i> Species of beetle

Anisodactylus binotatus is a species of ground beetle native to Europe. It was discovered as being introduced to Canterbury, New Zealand in 1938. Anisodactylus binotatus is a species of Carabidae, also known as the ground beetle family. Although this species of beetle has no official recorded common names, literature from England refers to it as the common shortspur beetle.

<i>Hemileuca lucina</i> Species of moth

Hemileuca lucina, the New England buck moth, is a species of moth in the family Saturniidae. This moth species is only found in the New England region of the United States. Larvae in early stages mainly feed on broadleaf meadowsweet whereas larvae in later stages show variation in food sources such as blackberry and black cherry leaves. Larvae have a black body with orange/black spines on their back that are used to deter predators. Pupation occurs during the summer and adult moths come out around September.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Mosconi, F.; et al. (2014). "An overview of the most outstanding Italian endemic moth, Brahmaea (Acanthobrahmaea) europaea (Lepidoptera: Brahmaeidae)". Fragmenta Entomologica. 46: 1–9.
  2. "Fauna Europaea". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2015.