Cosmia pyralina

Cosmia pyralina
Dorsal view
Larva
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Superfamily:	Noctuoidea
Family:	Noctuidae
Genus:	Cosmia
Species:	C. pyralina
Binomial name
Cosmia pyralina (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)
Synonyms
Noctua pyralina Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775 Phalaena (Noctua) corrusca Esper, 1798

Cosmia pyralina, the lunar-spotted pinion, is a moth of the family Noctuidae.

Distribution

This species can be found central Europe, in the north up to central Great Britain and southern Fennoscandia, south to northern Spain and central Italy, east through Bulgaria up to the Caucasus further through the Palearctic up to Korea and Japan.

Technical description and variation

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

C. pyralina View. (47 e). Forewing dull or bright redbrown on a pinker ground; generally darkened with olive fuscous; first line blackish, oblique, not white-edged, angled outwards between and inwards on the veins; outer line preceded by a darker median shade, and edged with white, the white becoming diffused on costa and joined to the white streak before the submarginal line; stigmata very obscure, sometimes with dark centres on a paler ground; submarginal line preceded by a darker red shade; wing pale grey in the male, darker in the female; the brighter coloured forms are ab. corusea Esp. (47 e). Larva pale green with white lines; spiracular line yellowish, black edged above; head yellow green. Cosmia pyralina has a wingspan reaching 28–32 mm.

This moth is rather similar Cosmia affinis, but it shows paler hindwings and broader forewings.

Biology

Adults are on wing from June to August in one generation. The larvae feed on various deciduous trees, including Ulmus, Pyrus, Salix and Quercus living between united leaves, spinning a slight silken web in which to pupate.

External links

• Lepiforum.de
• schmetterlinge-deutschlands.de Archived 2011-10-05 at the Wayback Machine