Biology Reference
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813
814
813 Larva of lunar marbled brown moth ( Drymonia ruficornis ).
814 Male lunar marbled brown moth ( Drymonia ruficornis ).
spite of their size, are easily overlooked. The presence
of such larvae is often discovered only following a close
examination of branches immediately above large
pellets of frass which have accumulated on the ground
beneath infested trees. Larvae complete their
development in August or early September. They then
wander away from the branches onto tree trunks or
nearby fence posts where they construct tough, brown
cocoons of silk and masticated wood. The larvae then
pupate. Adults emerge in the following summer.
DESCRIPTION
Adult: 34-38 mm wingspan; fore wings pale greyish
white, marked with light grey (the markings partly
edged with black and orange-yellow), and with blackish
dots along the outer margin between the veins; hind
wings mainly whitish to greyish white. Larva: up to
35 mm long; light green, flecked with yellow, and with
a broad, greyish-pink to purplish, yellow-edged dorsal
stripe that widens to become saddle-like on the fourth
abdominal segment; anal prolegs modified into
eversible filamentous appendages; head purplish brown.
DAMAGE
Larvae cause considerable defoliation but, except on
small trees, damage is unimportant.
LIFE HISTORY
Adults emerge in late May and early June, depositing
eggs singly or in twos or threes on the upper surface of
leaves. Larvae feed from June onwards. When full
grown, each forms a tough, relatively flat cocoon in a
crevice or a hollow in the bark of the foodplant. The
cocoons are constructed of silk and masticated wood,
and are difficult to distinguish from the surrounding
plant tissue. They remain intact until adults emerge in
the following spring. In favourable districts a second
generation of adults emerges in August; their larvae
then feed in the late summer and autumn.
Drymonia ruficornis (Hufnagel) ( 813-814 )
Lunar marbled brown moth
Larvae of this widely distributed species feed on the
leaves of oak ( Quercus ) from June to August; they are
found occasionally on specimen trees in parks and
gardens, mostly in southerly areas, but cause only slight
damage. Fully fed individuals ( c. 40 mm long) are
bluish green to whitish green, marked with two thin,
yellow lines down the back and a wider spiracular line
along each side. Adults (37-40 mm wingspan) are
whitish, marked with grey and greyish black. They are
most numerous in May.
DAMAGE
Larvae cause slight defoliation but infestations are of no
significance.
Furcula furcula (Clerck) ( 815-816 )
Sallow kitten moth
Relatively common on willow ( Salix ), but of minor
importance; also found on various kinds of Populus ,
including aspen ( P. tremula ), and birch ( Betula ).
Eurasiatic; also present in North America. Widely
distributed in Europe.
Phalera bucephala (Linnaeus) ( 817-819 )
Buff-tip moth
A generally common pest of trees and shrubs, including
alder ( Alnus ), beech ( Fagus sylvatica ), birch ( Betula ),
elm ( Ulmus ), flowering cherry ( Prunus ), hazel
( Corylus ), hornbeam ( Carpinus betulus ), lime ( Tilia ),
oak ( Quercus ), pussy willow ( Salix caprea ), rose
( Rosa ), sweet chestnut ( Castanea sativa ) and Viburnum ;
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