Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
782
783
782
Larva of brimstone moth (
Opisthograptis luteolata
).
783
Brimstone moth (
Opisthograptis luteolata
).
784
785
784
Larva of swallow-tailed moth (
Ourapteryx sambucaria
).
785
Swallow-tailed moth (
Ourapteryx sambucaria
).
Opisthograptis luteolata
(Linnaeus) (
782-783
)
Brimstone moth
A generally common species, the larvae sometimes
feeding on rosaceous ornamental trees and shrubs,
including crab-apple (
Malus
), flowering cherry
(
Prunus
) and hawthorn (
Crataegus
). They cause
damage to the foliage during the spring, summer and
autumn but are usually present only in small numbers.
Individuals (up to 25 mm long) are stout-bodied, green
to brownish and twig-like, with four pairs of abdominal
prolegs. The mainly yellow, orange-marked adults
(32-35 mm wingspan) occur from April to August but
are most numerous in May and June.
spring, usually attract attention because of their size. The
mainly pale yellow, butterfly-like adults (55-60 mm
wingspan) appear in July.
Peribatodes rhomboidaria
(Denis &
Schiffermüller) (
786-787
)
Willow beauty moth
A generally common species, associated with various
trees and shrubs. The larvae sometimes occur on
ornamentals and nursery stock, including birch (
Betula
),
Clematis
, hawthorn (
Crataegus
), ivy (
Hedera
), lilac
(
Syringa
), privet (
Ligustrum vulgare
), rose (
Rosa
) and
yew (
Taxus baccata
), but cause only slight damage.
They feed in the late summer and again in the following
spring, each larva eventually pupating in a strong, silken
cocoon formed on a twig or small branch of the
foodplant. Individuals (up to 35 mm long) are reddish
brown, mottled with ochreous, with faint diamond-
shaped markings along the back. The greyish to
brownish-grey adults (40 mm wingspan) appear in July
and August.
Ourapteryx sambucaria
(Linnaeus) (
784-785
)
Swallow-tailed moth
Generally common, but a minor pest. The elongate (up
to 60 mm long), greyish-brown, purplish-marked, twig-
like larvae feed on the foliage of various trees and
shrubs, including elder (
Sambucus
), flowering cherry
(
Prunus
), hawthorn (
Crataegus
) and ivy (
Hedera
).
Although sometimes infesting ornamentals, the larvae
are rarely numerous. Older individuals, feeding in the
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