| | Insects of Britain and Ireland: the genera of Lepidoptera-Noctuidae |
Adults. Head with a projecting, quadrangular horny frontal plate (concealed in dense scales). Eyes glabrous; not ciliated. Antennae of males ciliate. Tongue poorly developed.
Wingspan 27–44 mm. Forewings olive brown, or ochreous; plain, or patterned transversely (plain apart from dots representing the stigmata, or with transverse lines represented by faint dots); the patterning when present, obscure; reniform defined, or undefined; orbicular defined, or undefined (mostly); claviform undefined. Hindwings fuscous, or yellowish, or brownish, or grey; plain to terminally darkened; with a clear discal mark (rarely), or without a clear discal mark; transversely lined (or dots), or without transverse lines; exhibiting vein 5. Vein 5 of the hindwings weak; arising nearer to vein 6 than to vein 4. Thorax slightly crested (anteriorly). Middle tibiae without spines. Posterior tibiae without spines. Abdomen not crested.
Living adults found July and August, or August and September.
Larvae, pupae. Larvae posteriorly rounded, or posteriorly tapered; feeding on internal stem tissues of helophytic Monocots (Phragmites, Scirpus, Sparganium, Typha, Iris); pupating within the stems of the foodplant.
British representation. 5 species; South-east England, Central-southern England, South-west England, English Midlands, Northern England, and Wales; A. algae (Rush Wainscot), A. dissoluta (Brown-veined Wainscot), A. geminipuncta (Twin-spotted Wainscot), A. neurica (White-mantled Wainscot), A. sparganii (Webb’s Wainscot).
Amphipyrinae.
Illustrations. • The British species, with 14 related genera: Newman. 1, Panemeria tenebrata (Small Yellow Underwing); 2, Elaphria venustula (The Rosy Marbled); 3, ARCHANARA geminipuncta (Twin-spotted Wainscot); 4(a) and (b), ARCHANARA dissoluta (Brown-veined Wainscot); 5, ARCHANARA algae ( Reed Wainscot); 6, Oria musculosa (Brighton Wainscot); 7, Rhizedra lutosa (Large Wainscot); 8(a)-(d), Charanyca trigrammica (Treble Lines); 9, Arenostola phragmitidis (Fen Wainscot); 10, Hoplodrina alsines (The Uncertain); 11, Hoplodrina blanda (The Rustic); 12, Caradrina morpheus (Mottled Rustic); 13, Caradrina clavipalpis (Pale Mottled Willow); 14(a)-(d), Chilodes peltigera (Silky Wainscot); 15, Stilbia anomala (The Anomalous); 16, Spodoptera exigua (Small Mottled Willow); 17, Acosmetia caliginosa (The Reddish Buff); 18, Coenobia rufa (Small Rufous); 19, Athetis pallustris (Marsh Moth). From Newman, 1869. • Amphipyrinae: Kirby. AMPHIPYRINAE. 1, Trachea atriplicis (Orache Moth); 2, Euplexia lucipara (Small Angle-shades); 4, Phlogophora meticulosa (Angle-shades); 5, Mormo maura (Old Lady); 8, Amphipoea oculea (Golden Ear); 9, Gortyna flavago (Frosted Orange); 10, Archanara cannae (Reed Wainscot); 11, Nonagria typhae (Bulrush Moth); 12, Diclya 00 (Heart); 13, Cosmia pyralina (Lunar-spotted Pinion); 14, Cosmia diffinis (White-spotted Pinion); 15, Cosmia affinis (Lesser-spotted Pinion); 16, Cosmia trapezina (Dun Bar); 17, Ipimorpha retusa (Double Kidney); 21, Amphipyra tragopogonis (Mouse); 22, Amphipyra pyramidea Copper Underwing). From Kirby 36 and 38.
We advise against extracting comparative information from the descriptions. This is much more easily achieved using the DELTA data files or the interactive key, which allows access to the character list, illustrations, full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting or lacking specified attributes, and distributions of character states within any set of taxa. See also Guidelines for using data taken from Web publications.
Cite this publication as: ‘Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2003 onwards. Insects of Britain and Ireland: the genera of Lepidoptera-Noctuidae. Version: 14th February 2021. delta-intkey.com’.
