| Heliothis peltigera | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Dorsal view | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Superfamily: | Noctuoidea |
| Family: | Noctuidae |
| Genus: | Heliothis |
| Species: | H. peltigera |
| Binomial name | |
| Heliothis peltigera (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) | |
| Synonyms | |
List
| |
Heliothis peltigera, also known as the bordered straw, is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae.
The Greek epithet "Heliothis" means "scorched by the sun", [1] while the Latin species name peltigera means wearing a small shield, with reference to the reniform marking on the forewings.
This species can be found in Southern Europe [2] and the Near East, but it is present further north too, because it is a regular migratory species northbound. [3] It is also present in most of Africa (Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Gambia, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Somalia, Tunisia) [4] and in Asia, ranging to China and Laos.
This heat-loving species occurs mainly on hot wastelands[ clarification needed ] and warm slopes.
Heliothis peltigera has a wingspan of 29–40 mm [3] [5] and forewings reaching a length of 16–19 mm. These moths are rather variable in pattern and colour. [3]
Forewings are usually greyish ochreous, flushed with pale brown, except the narrow marginal area; lines are brown, indistinct; orbicular stigma is a dark dot. On middle of costa there is a reniform grey dot, with dark brown edge and centre, joined to a brown mark. A brown band appears between outer and submarginal lines. A black dot is present below vein 2 before margin. Hindwings show a broad brown-black marginal border, containing a pale blotch between 2 and 4. Cellspot is dark and fringes are white. [6] Larvae are reddish grey or ochreous, dotted with white. Dorsal and subdorsal lines are dark, while spiracular line is white.
This species is quite similar to Heliothis nubigera , that shows less evident kidney markings, and to Helicoverpa armigera , that has lighter colored hindwings.
These migratory moths arrives from May to October depending on the location. [3] Adults* feed on flowers of various plants. The larvae feed on a variety of plants, including Ononis , Carthamus , Medicago , Calendula , [3] [7] Senecio viscosus , Tagetes , Hyoscyamus , Atropa belladonna and Atropa baetica . [8]
