| The Flame | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
| Axylia putris Linnaeus, 1761 |
The Flame (Axylia putris) is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found throughout Europe.
This species has creamy-buff forewings (sometimes tinged with red) with black streaking along the costa. The hindwings are whitish with a dark line along the margin. The wingspan is 30-36 mm. Unusually for a noctuid, this moth rests with its wings wrapped tightly around its body making it resemble a broken twig. It flies at night in June and July (sometimes a second brood is produced which flies in September) [1] and is attracted to light.
The larva is grey or brown with black markings and a hump at the rear end. It feeds on a variety of cereals and other herbaceous plants (see list below). The species overwinters as a pupa.
- ^ The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range.
Recorded food plants
- Beta - Beet
- Galium - Bedstraw
- Hordeum - Barley
- Lotus - Bird's-foot Trefoil
- Medicago - Alfalfa
- Polygonum
- Rumex - Dock
- Secale - Rye
- Taraxacum - Dandelion
- Trifolium - Clover
- Triticum - Wheat
- Urtica - Nettle
- Vicia
External links
References
- Chinery, Michael Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe 1986 (Reprinted 1991)
- Skinner, Bernard Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles 1984
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
