Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
753
Colotois pennaria
(Linnaeus) (
753-754
)
Feathered thorn moth
Adults of this common woodland insect occur in
October and November. The females deposit oblong
batches of 100-200 olive-green, smooth-shelled eggs
along the shoots of various trees and shrubs, including
established ornamentals and nursery stock. Hosts
include birch (
Betula
), crab-apple (
Malus
), flowering
cherry (
Prunus
), hawthorn (
Crataegus
), hornbeam
(
Carpinus betulus
), larch (
Larix
), oak (
Quercus
), poplar
(
Populus
) and willow (
Salix
). The eggs hatch in the
following spring. Larvae feed from April to June and
eventually pupate in the soil. Fully grown larvae
(40-45 mm long) are stout-bodied and purplish grey to
slate-grey, with faint, yellowish diamond-shaped marks
down the back and similarly coloured spots along the
sides; the ninth abdominal segment bears two red-tipped
projections. Adults (40 mm wingspan) are mainly light
orange to pale yellowish; males have strongly
bipectinate antennae.
753
Larva of feathered thorn moth (
Colotois pennaria
).
754
Crocallis elinguaria
(Linnaeus) (
755-756
)
Scalloped oak moth
A polyphagous and generally distributed species, the
larvae feeding from April to June on the leaves of
various deciduous trees and shrubs, including
blackthorn (
Prunus spinosa
), crab-apple (
Malus
),
flowering cherry (
Prunus
) and honeysuckle (
Lonicera
);
attacks sometimes occur on such plants in parks and
gardens and also, occasionally, on nursery stock. The
larvae are capable of causing noticeable defoliation, but
are usually present in only small numbers so that
damage caused is of little or no significance. The twig-
like larvae (up to 45 mm long) are greyish yellow to
greyish black, tinged with purple, with a dark diamond-
like pattern along the back and a slight, blackish-edged
elevation on the eighth abdominal segment. Fully fed
individuals pupate in the soil. The mainly whitish-
yellow to ochreous-brown adults (32-40 mm wingspan)
occur in July and August.
754
Male feathered thorn moth (
Colotois pennaria
).
yellowish grey to black; they fly from late June to early
August.
Deileptenia ribeata
(Clerck) (
757-758
)
syn.
D. abietaria
(Denis & Schiffermüller);
Boarmia ribeata
(Clerck)
Satin carpet moth
A widely distributed species, associated with various trees
but most often encountered on fir (
Abies
), larch (
Larix
),
spruce (
Picea
) and yew (
Taxus baccata
). The greyish-
brown larvae sometimes cause slight damage to
ornamentals but they are usually present in only small
numbers. They feed from August onwards, hibernating
during the winter and completing their development in the
following June. Adults (40-48 mm wingspan) are pale
Ectropis bistortata
(Goeze) (
759-760
)
syn.
Boarmia bistortata
(Goeze)
Engrailed moth
A generally common, double-brooded species. The pale
greenish-grey, shoot-like larvae (up to 30 mm long) feed
on various trees and shrubs, including beech (
Fagus
sylvatica
), birch (
Betula
) and oak (
Quercus
). They
occur from May onwards, and sometimes cause minor
damage to the foliage of ornamentals. The pale
yellowish-grey adults (38-40 mm wingspan) occur in
the early spring and again in mid-summer.
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