Rhizedra lutosa

Rhizedra lutosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Rhizedra
Species: R. lutosa
Binomial name
Rhizedra lutosa
(Hübner, 1803)

Rhizedra lutosa, the large wainscot or Isle of Wight wainscot, is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae. It is native to the Palearctic ecozone (Ireland to Japan including Russian Far East and Siberia), but was introduced into eastern North America and is spreading.

Illustration from John Curtis's British Entomology Volume 5
Detail of the wing, showing spots

Technical description and variation

For a key to the terms used, see Glossary of entomology terms.

The wingspan is 42–50 mm. The length of the forewings is 16–23 mm. "Forewing dull white, finely dusted with blackish in the intervals, sometimes slightly rufous-tinged; outer line represented by a row of blackish dots, often obsolete: hindwing whitish washed with grey; sometimes with an outer series of dark spots; — the ab. crassicornis Haw.has the black dusting intensified on both wings, forming, in some instances, dark horizontal streaks in the forewing; the rows of spots in both wings strongly expressed; — ab. rufescens Tutt is the red form corresponding to lutosa Hbn. sometimes with, at others without, the rows of spots; for the more dusted red form, corresponding to ab. crassicornis Haw., Tutt has used the name rufescens-suffusa. The form occurring in Japan must be separated as a subspecies griseata subsp. nov [Warren]: in the males of this (I have not seen a female) the hindwings are dark grey beyond middle with the fringe pale: the forewings also are greyer ochreous with the pale veins more distinctly defined by dark scaling.2 males in Tring Museum from Ichikishiri, Yezo, August 1890, (Dr. Fritze)".[1]

Biology

The moth flies from July to November depending on the location.

Larva bone-colour with a pinkish tinge; head light brown: feeding underground in the roots of reeds Phragmites species. .[2]

References

  1. ↑ Seitz, A. Ed., 1914 Die Großschmetterlinge der Erde, Verlag Alfred Kernen, Stuttgart Band 3: Abt. 1, Die Großschmetterlinge des palaearktischen Faunengebietes, Die palaearktischen eulenartigen Nachtfalter, 1914
  2. ↑ "Robinson, G. S., P. R. Ackery, I. J. Kitching, G. W. Beccaloni & L. M. Hernández, 2010. HOSTS - A Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants. Natural History Museum, London.".
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