Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
815
816
815
Sallow kitten moth (
Furcula furcula
).
816
Larva of sallow kitten moth (
Furcula furcula
).
817
818
817
Buff-tip moth (
Phalera bucephala
).
818
Larva of buff-tip moth (
Phalera bucephala
).
819
often present on amenity trees, ornamentals and nursery
stock. Widely distributed in Europe.
DESCRIPTION
Adult:
55-70 mm wingspan; fore wings ash-grey to
silvery grey, with dark brown and reddish-brown
markings and a large, pale yellow apical blotch; hind
wings pale yellow to whitish.
Egg:
1 mm across;
hemispherical; pale bluish white above, with a dark
central spot; green below.
Larva:
up to 60 mm long;
downy and yellow, with several incomplete, black
longitudinal lines and orange intersegmental crosslines;
head black.
Pupa:
25-28 mm long; dark purplish
brown; cremaster with two pairs of short spines.
819
Group of young buff-tip larvae (
Phalera bucephala
) on
Betula
.
LIFE HISTORY
Adults occur from late May to July or early August,
depositing eggs in batches of about 50 or more on the
underside of leaves. The eggs hatch in about two weeks.
At first, larvae feed on the lower epidermis; later, they
devour entire leaves and are fully grown by the autumn.
They then enter the soil to pupate in earthen chambers,
where they overwinter. Although not forming webs,
buff tip larvae feed gregariously until the final stages of
their development.
DAMAGE
Larvae rapidly defoliate shoots and branches, and
attacks on young trees and shrubs are of particular
importance.
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