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Insects of Britain and Ireland: the genera of Lepidoptera-Noctuidae

L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz

Dypterygia Stephens

Dipterygia

Adults. Head rough. Eyes glabrous; not ciliated. Antennae of males ciliate. Labial palps medium to long; ascending.

Wingspan 34–42 mm. Head, collar and sides of thorax blackish, the centre of the thorax ochreous, the dark-crested abdomen paler than them but browner than the smoky hindwings. Forewings dull blackish or dark brown; brown, or blackish; neither purplish nor rosy marked or tinged; complexly patterned; the patterning well marked (regarding the characteristic, ochreous eagle’s wing mark on the inner margin, although the markings are otherwise obscure); reniform defined; orbicular defined. Hindwings dark fuscous; plain; without a clear discal mark; without transverse lines; exhibiting vein 5. Vein 5 of the hindwings weak; arising nearer to vein 6 than to vein 4. Thorax crested (front and rear). Middle tibiae without spines. Posterior tibiae without spines. Abdomen crested.

Living adults found in June.

Larvae, pupae. Larvae posteriorly rounded, or posteriorly tapered; feeding on Polygonaceae; pupating on the surface of the ground.

British representation. 1 species; South-east England, Central-southern England, South-west England, English Midlands, Northern England, Southern Scotland, Northern Scotland, and Wales (local); scabriuscula (Bird’s Wing).

Amphipyrinae.

Illustrations. • D. scabriuscula (The Bird's Wing), and related genera: Newman. 1(a) and (b), Mormo maura (The Old Lady); 2, Amphipyra pyramidea (Copper Underwing); 3, Amphipyra tragopoginis (The Mouse); 4, DYPTERYGIA scabriuscula (The Bird's Wing); 5, Thalpophila matura (Straw Underwing); 6(a) and (b), Rusina ferruginea (Brown Rustic); 7, Trachea aptriplicis (The Orache Moth); 8, Euplexia lucipara (Small Angle-shades); 9, Phlogophora meticulosa (The Angle Shades); 10, Ipimorpha subtusa (The Olive); 11, Ipimorpha retusa (The Small Olive). From Newman, 1869. • D. scabriuscula (Bird's Wing), with Cuculliinae, Amphipyrinae and Noctuinae: Kirby. CUCULLIINAE. 1, Dryobotodes eremita (Brindled Green); 2, Dichonia aprilina (Merveille-du-Jour); 3, Lamprosticta culta; 4, Meganephria bimaculosa (Double-spot Brocade); 5, Allophyes oxyacanthae (Green-brindled Crescent); 6, Valeria oleagina (Green Brindled Dot); 10, Blepharita satura (Beautiful Arches); 11, Eremobia ochroleuca (Dusky Sallow); 22, Hyppa rectilinea (Clouded Brocade); 23, Auchmis detersa. AMPHIPYRINAE. 7, Luperina testacea (Flounced Rustic); 8, Thalophila matura (Straw Underwing); 9, Calamia tridens virens (Burren Green); 12, Apamea lateritia (Scarce Brindle); 13, Apamea monoglypha (Dark Arches); 14, Apamea lithoxylaea (Light Arches); 15, Apamea sordens (Rustic Shoulder-knot); 16, Apamea crenata (Clouded-bordered Brindle); 17, Apamea remissa (Dusky Brocade); 18, Mesapamea secalis (Common Rustic); 19, Oligia strigilis (Marbled Minor); 20, Mesoligia furuncula (Cloaked Minor); 21, Dypterygia scabriuscula (Bird's Wing); 25, Callopistria juventina; 26, Polyphaenis sericata. NOCTUINAE. 24, Actinotia polyodon (Purple Cloud). From Kirby 40, with names updated.


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’.

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