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Photedes minima

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Small dotted buff
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Photedes
Species:
P. minima
Binomial name
Photedes minima
(Haworth, 1809)

Photedes minima, the small dotted buff, is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in Europe.

Technical description and variation

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The wingspan is 20–23 mm. The length of the forewings is 11–14 mm. Forewing pale ochreous, slightly dusted with darker, and washed with pale ochraceous; the median area in female usually a little deeper coloured, especially in lower half; inner and outer lines fine, obscure, conversely lunulate-dentate, the teeth produced along the veins, sometimes paler-edged, generally marked only by vein-dashes; subterminal line faint, preceded by a diffuse dark shade, forming a patch at costa; hindwing ochreous, suffused with grey, thickly towards termen, with traces of a dark outer line; some specimens are more strongly suffused with ochraceous or rufous; these constitute the aberration lutescens Haw.[1]

Fig.6, 6a larva after last moult

Biology

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The moth flies from June to August depending on the location.

Larva ochreous, sometimes pinkish, with darker transverse bars at the segments; dorsal and subdorsal lines paler; head brown; thoracic plate paler brown. The larvae feed on tufted hair-grass en Deschampsia flexuosa.[2]

References

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  1. ^ Seitz, A. Ed., 1914 Die Großschmetterlinge der Erde, Verlag Alfred Kernen, Stuttgart Band 3: Abt. 1, Die Großschmetterlinge des palaearktischen Faunengebietes, Die palaearktischen eulenartigen Nachtfalter, 1914 Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ "Robinson, G. S., P. R. Ackery, I. J. Kitching, G. W. Beccaloni & L. M. Hernández, 2010. HOSTS - A Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants. Natural History Museum, London".
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