Common swift moth

Last updated

Common swift
Korscheltellus lupulinus01.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Hepialidae
Genus: Korscheltellus
Species:
K. lupulina
Binomial name
Korscheltellus lupulina
Synonyms
  • Noctua lupulinusLinnaeus, 1758
  • Hepialus lupulinus(Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Pharmacis lupulina(Linnaeus, 1758)

The common swift (Korscheltellus lupulina) is a moth of the family Hepialidae. It was previously placed in the genus Hepialus . It is a common, often abundant European species. The species was described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.

Contents

Mounted Hepialus lupulinus.jpg
Mounted
Caterpillar Korscheltellus lupulinus02.jpg
Caterpillar

Description

The male has a wingspan of about 30 mm with dark brown forewings with white apical and basal streaks meeting to make a "V" shape with another spot close to the costa. The hindwings are plain brown. The female is larger (wingspan about 40 mm) with similar patterning to the male but generally paler and less distinct. Patterns on the moths are highly variable, ranging from whitish to grey to pale brown with the females slightly larger and less strongly marked. Some individuals of both sexes are plain buff or brown with no pattern. [1] The moths do not have a proboscis, are unable to feed, and therefore, are not usually found at flowers. [2]

The adults fly at dusk in May and June and the females broadcast the eggs, in a hovering flight, just above the vegetation. Males have a hovering flight. [3] The species overwinters as a larva. [4]

The orange swift (Triodia sylvina) and gold swift ('Phymatopus hecta') look similar, although the orange swift flies later in the year. [1]

Larvae

The larvae feed underground on the roots of a wide variety of plants (see list below) and can be an agricultural pest. They feed from July to April and when fully fed are 20 mm long with a shiny white body and brown head, prothoracic plate and pinacula. It pupates in a tunnel amongst the roots and uses the spines of the pupa to migrate to the surface, before emergence. [3]

Recorded food plants

Etymology

Previously placed in the genus Hepialus – from the Greek; hēpialos – meaning a fever, as in 'the fitful, alternating flight' of the moth. It has since been allocated to the genus Korscheltellus .[ clarification needed ] Carl Linnaeus originally gave the moth the specific name lupulinus in affinity with the ghost moth (Hepialus humuli). Humulus is the genus for hops and Linnaeus knew that the ghost moth fed on the roots of hops; he was not aware of the actual foodplant of the common swift. [6] [ clarification needed ]

Notes

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

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hummingbird hawk-moth</span> Species of moth

The hummingbird hawk-moth is a species of hawk moth found across temperate regions of Eurasia. The species is named for its similarity to hummingbirds, as they feed on the nectar of tube-shaped flowers using their long proboscis while hovering in the air; this resemblance is an example of convergent evolution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hepialidae</span> Family of moths

The Hepialidae are a family of insects in the lepidopteran order. Moths of this family are often referred to as swift moths or ghost moths.

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

The ghost moth or ghost swift is a moth of the family Hepialidae. It is common throughout Europe, except for the far south-east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bordered white</span> Species of moth

The bordered white or pine looper, is a moth of the family Geometridae. Among these, it belongs to tribe Bupalini of the subfamily Ennominae. B. piniaria is a common species throughout the western Palearctic region, the Near East and North Africa. However, its presence in certain regions – e.g. the northern Balkans – is doubtful.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common white wave</span> Species of moth

The common white wave is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. It is found throughout the Palearctic region. Their habitat is deciduous forests and their surroundings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hebrew character</span> Species of moth

The Hebrew character is a moth in the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. It is found throughout Europe.

<i>Korscheltellus</i> Genus of moths

Korscheltellus is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. It consists of two widespread species, the familiar common swift of Europe and the conifer swift of Canada and the eastern United States. K. gracilis has been recorded feeding on the roots of quaking aspen, white spruce and yellow birch but is especially associated with balsam fir and red spruce. It is considered a major pest of these two species.

<i>Phymatopus</i> Genus of moths

Phymatopus is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae, which consists of around 700 species and 82 genera. The genus was erected by Hans Daniel Johan Wallengren in 1869. They can be found across Eurasia and North America. Species can be distinguished by the different morphology of male genitalia and different forewing patterns, which vary in stripe colour and size and arrangement of spots. The stripes themselves consist of spots separated by dark veins which are fringed by thin black lines from both inner and outer sides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orange swift</span> Species of moth

The orange swift or orange moth is a moth belonging to the family Hepialidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1761 and was previously placed in the genus Hepialus. It is distributed throughout Europe.

<i>Dyseriocrania subpurpurella</i> Moth species in family Eriocraniidae

Dyseriocrania subpurpurella is a diurnal moth from the family Eriocraniidae, found in most of Europe. The moth was first named by the English entomologist, Adrian Hardy Haworth in 1828.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gold swift</span> Species of moth

The gold swift is a moth belonging to the family Hepialidae. Until recently it was placed in the genus Hepialus. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. Moths of the Hepialidae are considered to be primitive moths; they do not have a proboscis and are unable to feed. The gold swift is a widespread species found in Europe and Asia, including Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Map-winged swift</span> Species of moth

The map-winged swift is a moth belonging to the family Hepialidae and has a patchy distribution throughout Eurasia. The species was first described by Charles De Geer in 1778. It was previously placed in the genus Hepialus and some references still place it there.

<i>Amphipoea fucosa</i> Species of moth

Amphipoea fucosa, the saltern ear moth, is a moth of the superfamily Noctuoidea, found in Europe. It was described in 1830, by the German entomologist Christian Friedrich Freyer, from two type specimen found in Sligo, Ireland and Deal, Kent. It is one of four species that are difficult to tell apart, requiring the examination of the genitalia. The larvae feed in the stems and roots of grasses.

<i>Micropterix calthella</i> Moth species in family Micropterigidae

Micropterix calthella, the marsh marigold moth, is a species of moth belonging to the family Micropterigidae. It is found in damp habitats throughout Europe and is also distributed eastwards to central Siberia. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1761 as Phalaena calthella.

<i>Eriocrania chrysolepidella</i> Moth species in family Eriocraniidae

Eriocrania chrysolepidella is a moth of the family Eriocraniidae found in Europe. It was first described by the German entomologist, Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1851. The larvae mine the leaves of hazel and hornbeam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conifer swift</span> Species of moth

The conifer swift moth is a swift moth considered a forest pest in eastern and central North America, from Canada south to North Carolina. Larvae feed primarily on roots of evergreen trees, and are weakly polyphagous, able to survive on deciduous trees but preferring balsam fir and red spruce. They penetrate bark, but lesions on roots are shallow. These wounds may, however, provide easy entry for pathogenic fungi and nematodes. K. gracilis has been shown to reduce survival on saplings, but adult trees have been found with more than 30 feeding scars on their roots. But trees that are weakened by air pollution or changes in soil chemistry may invite K. gracilis infestation. Adults can be found in woody areas between June and August. They are cryptically colored, but are active for 20–40 minutes each dawn and twilight, and occasionally come to light. In the conifer swift moth, courtship, mating, and egg laying occur during evening hours; only oviposition occurs in the morning. They are Exoporia, and females scatter eggs while in flight. It takes two years for the larvae to mature, so populations tend towards two-year cycles. Females emit pheromones to attract males, from organs on their hind wings.

<i>Amphipoea oculea</i> Species of moth

Amphipoea oculea, the ear moth, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1761 and it is found in most of the Palearctic realm. It is one of four species that are difficult to tell apart, requiring the examination of the genitalia. The larvae feed in the stems and roots of low plants and grasses.

<i>Amphipoea lucens</i> Species of moth

Amphipoea lucens, the large ear or large ear moth, is a moth of the family Noctuidae and is found in most of Europe. It was first described, in 1845, by the German entomologist, Christian Friedrich Freyer, from a specimen, found in Berlin. The larva feed on the roots and stems of grasses.

<i>Stigmella crataegella</i> Species of moth

Stigmella crataegella is a moth of the family Nepticulidae found in Europe. It was described by the Austrian entomologist Josef Wilhelm Klimesch in 1936. The larvae mine the leaves of hawthorns.

<i>Nola aerugula</i> Species of moth

Nola aerugula, the scarce black arches, is a moth of the family Nolidae found in Asia and Europe. The species was first described by the German entomologist, Jacob Hübner in 1793.

References

  1. 1 2 Townsend, Martin; Waring, Paul; Lewington, Richard (2019). Concise Guide to the Moths of Great Britain and Ireland (Second ed.). London: Bloomsbury Wildlife Guides. pp. 10–11. ISBN   978-1-4729-5728-3.
  2. Leverton, Roy (2001). Enjoying Moths. London: Poyser Natural History. p. 97. ISBN   0-85661-124-7.
  3. 1 2 Heath, John (1983). Hepialidae. In The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland. Volume 1. Colchester: Harley Books. pp. 166–70. ISBN   0-946589-15-1.
  4. Kimber, Ian. "Common Swift Korscheltellus lupulina (Linnaeus, 1758)". UKmoths. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  5. MAFF 1970.
  6. Emmet, A Maitland (1991). The Scientific Names of the British Lepidoptera. Their history and meaning. Colchester: Harley Books. p. 42. ISBN   0-946589-35-6.

Bibliography