Noctua orbona

Last updated

Lunar yellow underwing
Orbona mw.jpg
Mounted male and female
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Noctua
Species:
N. orbona
Binomial name
Noctua orbona
Hufnagel, 1766

Noctua orbona, the lunar yellow underwing, is a moth of the family Noctuoidea. It is found in the Palearctic.

Distribution

North Africa (Morocco and Libya), western, central and southern Europe. In the north to Scotland, southern Norway, central Sweden and southern Finland. From the Baltic states across through Russia to the Urals. In Asia, the southern records extend from Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and questionably to Iran, Afghanistan and northern India. The distribution area in the East Palearctic includes Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

Comparison 1, 2. lunar yellow underwing Noctua orbona 4, 5, 7, 8. lesser yellow underwing Noctua comes 3, 6. large yellow underwing Noctua pronuba Moths of the British Isles Plate115.jpg
Comparison 1, 2. lunar yellow underwing Noctua orbona 4, 5, 7, 8. lesser yellow underwing Noctua comes 3, 6. large yellow underwing Noctua pronuba

The wingspan is 38–45 mm. Forewings with weakly pronounced lines, the colour is leather yellowish brown to reddish brown, often obscured at the margin. It resembles Noctua comes but has a constant and characteristic ink black spot on the costa near the apex of the forewing. In the overall impression a broad-winged species. Central European populations on average smaller than Noctua comes.

4, 4a, 4b,4c larva after last moult 5, 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d 5 e larvae in various stages Buckler W The larvae of the British butterflies and moths PlateLXXIV.jpg
4, 4a, 4b,4c larva after last moult 5, 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d 5 e larvae in various stages

The moth flies from June to September depending on the location.

The hemispherical egg has a flattened base. It is initially whitish and turns orange shortly before the hatching of the larva. The surface is ribbed.

The colouration of the caterpillar varies from ochre yellow to brown-grey. It has three whitish dorsal lines. Between the dorsal lines, a black, elongated spot is developed on each segment. The caterpillar is lighter coloured on the sides with a wide reddish grey lateral stripe. A black, yellow-lined spot is present on the after shield. The brownish head has a fine mesh pattern and two dark arc stripes. The pronotum is also brownish and shows three bright longitudinal lines. The pupa is glossy brown to brown-red.

The larvae feed on various herbaceous plants and grasses.


Related Research Articles

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

The red underwing is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1767 12th edition of Systema Naturae.

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

The garden dart is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is distributed throughout much of the Palearctic. Temperate regions of Europe, Central Asia and North Asia, as well as the mountains of North Africa. Absent from polar regions, on Iceland and some Mediterranean islands, as well as in Macaronesia.

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

The flame shoulder is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1761. It is distributed throughout the Palearctic from Ireland in the west to Siberia then Korea and Japan in the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Large yellow underwing</span> Species of moth

The large yellow underwing is a moth, the type species for the family Noctuidae. It is an abundant species throughout the Palearctic realm, one of the most common and most familiar moths of the region. In some years the species is highly migratory with large numbers appearing suddenly in marginal parts of the range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesser yellow underwing</span> Species of moth

The lesser yellow underwing is a moth of the family Noctuidae.

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

The lunar underwing is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Adrian Hardy Haworth in 1809. It has a scattered distribution in western Europe including Spain, Scandinavia and Algeria.

<i>Apamea crenata</i> Species of moth

Apamea crenata, known as the clouded-bordered brindle, is a moth in the family Noctuidae. It is distributed throughout the Palearctic realm. In the North it crosses the Arctic Circle, in the Mediterranean it is found only in cool locations and mountains avoiding very hot areas. In the Alps, it rises to an altitude of about 2000 metres.

<i>Lasiommata megera</i> Species of butterfly

Lasiommata megera, the wall or wall brown, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is widespread in the Palearctic realm with a large variety of habitats and number of generations a year.

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

The black arches or nun moth is a small Palaearctic moth. It is considered a forest pest.

<i>Ematurga atomaria</i> Species of moth

Ematurga atomaria, the common heath, is a moth of the family Geometridae.

<i>Mesoleuca albicillata</i> Species of moth

Mesoleuca albicillata, the beautiful carpet, is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found in the Palearctic.

<i>Catocala fraxini</i> Species of moth

Catocala fraxini, the blue underwing or Clifden nonpareil, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.

<i>Tholera decimalis</i> Species of moth

Tholera decimalis, the feathered Gothic, is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in Europe and Scandinavia then through the Palearctic to Asia minor, western Central Asia, southern Siberia and in North Africa.

<i>Thera obeliscata</i> Species of moth

Thera obeliscata, the grey pine carpet, is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found throughout north and central Europe and east across the Palearctic to Siberia, and south to the Caucasus and Transcaucasia. In the Alps it can be found at an altitude of over 1500 metres.

<i>Rusina ferruginea</i> Species of moth

The brown rustic is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in Europe. then East across the Palearctic to the Sayan Mountains in Central Asia.

<i>Hydrelia sylvata</i> Species of moth

Hydrelia sylvata, the waved carpet, is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found throughout the temperate parts of the Palearctic realm.

<i>Agrotis ripae</i> Species of moth

Agrotis ripae, the sand dart, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1823. It is found in western Europe and North Africa and extends east across the Palearctic to steppe areas in Russia, Mongolia and Siberia.

<i>Agrochola helvola</i> Species of moth

Agrochola helvola, the flounced chestnut, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. The species is found in most of Europe, north to Scotland and Fennoscandia up to the Arctic Circle, south to Spain, Sicily, Greece further east to the Middle East, Armenia, Asia Minor, western Turkestan and central Asia up to central Siberia.

<i>Trabala vishnou</i> Species of moth

Trabala vishnou, the rose-myrtle lappet moth, is a moth of the family Lasiocampidae. It is found in southern Asia, including Pakistan, India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Java, China, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Indonesia. Four subspecies are recognized.

<i>Carsia sororiata</i> Species of moth

Carsia sororiata, the Manchester treble-bar, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1813. It is found in northern and central Europe, the Urals, Siberia, the Far East, northern Mongolia and in North America from Alaska to Newfoundland and to New Hampshire.