| | Insects of Britain and Ireland: the genera of Lepidoptera-Noctuidae |
Argyritis Hübner, Callaenia Hübner, Eucalimia Hübner, Euderaea Hübner, Shargacucullia Ronkay and Ronkay
Adults. Head rough. Eyes glabrous; ciliated. Antennae of males shortly ciliate.
Wingspan 37–60 mm. The head and thorax coloured like the forewings, often with dark crest and collar, the dark-crested abdomen similar to them or paler, but often darker than the hindwings. Forewings light to dark grey, fuscous, or straw-coloured and dark brown; neither green nor greenish tinged; neither purplish nor rosy marked or tinged; patterned transversely, or longitudinally streaked, or complexly patterned; the patterning well marked to obscure; neither shining-metallic nor with shining metallic effects; reniform defined, or undefined; orbicular defined, or undefined; claviform defined, or undefined. Hindwings whitish, or whitish-fuscous, or fuscous, or grey; plain, or terminally darkened; without a clear discal mark; transversely lined; exhibiting vein 5. Vein 5 of the hindwings weak; arising nearer to vein 6 than to vein 4. Thorax crested (slightly posteriorly, sometimes also the collar). Posterior tibiae without spines. Abdomen crested.
Living adults found April and May, or June and July.
Larvae, pupae. Larvae posteriorly rounded, or posteriorly tapered; feeding on foliage, flowers and fruits of Compositae and Scrophulariaceae; pupating on the surface of the ground.
British representation. 12 species (5 adventive); South-east England, Central-southern England, South-west England, English Midlands, Northern England, Southern Scotland, Northern Scotland, Wales, and Ireland; absinthii (Wormwood Shark), argentea*, artemisiae* (Scarce Wormwood Shark), asteris (Star-wort Shark), chamomillae (Chamomile Shark), gnaphalii (Cudweed Shark), lactucae* (Lettuce Shark), lychnitis (Striped Lychnis Shark), prenanthis*, scrophulariae* (Water Betony Shark), umbratica (The Shark), verbasci (Mullein Shark).
Cuculliinae.
Illustrations. • 8 British Shark species, with Xylena and Xylocampa: Newman. 1, Cucullia absinthii (Wormwood Shark); 2, Cucullia chamomillae (Chamomile Shark); 3, Cucullia umbratica (The Shark); 4, Cucullia asteris (Star-wort Shark); 5, Cucullia lychnitis (Striped Lychnis Shark); 6, Cucullia gnaphalii occidentalis (Cudweed Shark); 7, Cucullia scrophulariae (Water Betony Shark); 8, Cucullia verbasci (Mullein Shark); 9, Xylena vetusta (Red Sword-grass); 10, Xylena exsoleta (The Sword-grass); 11, Xylocampa areola (Early Grey). From Newman, 1869. • Cuculliinae: Cucullia asteris (Star-wort Shark: B. Ent. 45). • Cucullia asteris: B. Ent. 45, legend. • Cuculliinae and Plusiinae: Kirby. CUCULLIINAE. 1, Cucullia verbasci (Mullein Shark); 2, Cucullia asteris (Starwort Shark); 3 and 5, Cucullia umbratica (Shark); 4, Cucullia lactucae (Lettuce Shark); 5, Cucullia umbratica (Shark); 6, Cucullia chamomillae (Chamomile Shark); 7, Cucullia artemisiae (Scarce Wormwood Shark); 8, Cucullia absinthii (Wormwood Shark); 9, Cucullia argentea (Green Silver-spangle); 10, Eutelia adulatrix; 11, Allophyes oxyacanthae ab. capucina (Green-brindled Crescent, var.); 12, Eucarta amethystina . PLUSIINAE. 13, Abrostola trigemina (Dark Spectacle); 14, Abrostola triplasia (Spectacle); 15, Lamprotes c-aureum; 16, Polychrysia moneta (Golden Plusia); 17, Euchalia consona; 18, Euchalcia modestoides; 19, Diachrysia chrysitis (Burnished Brass); 20, Autographa bractea (Gold Spangle); 21, Plusia festucae (Gold Spot); 22, Autographa jota (Plain Golden Y); 23, Autographa gamma (Silver Y); 24, Syngrapha interrogationis (Scarce Silver Y); 25, Syngrapha ain; 26, Syngrapha hochenwarthi. From Kirby 41. • Larvae of C. scrophulariae, C. lychnitis, C. umbratica: Duponchel and Guénée (1849). Noctuidae. 1, C. scrophulariae (Water Betony). 2, C. lychnitis (Striped Lychnis). 3, Cucullia umbratica (The Shark) Duponchel and Guénée, 1849.
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’.
