Apamea ophiogramma

Apamea ophiogramma, the double lobed, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in the Palearctic realm in North and Central Europe to the Urals, Turkestan, Russian Far East, and Siberia. There have been at least two separate introductions into North America[1] and it is now rapidly expanding in range. This species is sometimes placed in the monotypic genus Lateroligia.

Double lobed
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Apamea
Species:
A. ophiogramma
Binomial name
Apamea ophiogramma
(Esper, 1793)
Synonyms
  • Lateroligia ophiogramma (Esper, 1793)

Technical description and variation
For a key to the terms used, see Glossary of entomology terms.

This moth has a wingspan of 32 to 35 mm. The forewings are 13 to 16 mm long. Forewing pale ochreous suffused with olive grey along inner margin and in terminal area with pale brownish; the inner and outer lines brown, conversely lunulate-dentate; the upper half of median area occupied by a red-brown or black brown blotch bilobed below, the lower lobe being formed by the dark brown claviform stigma; the upper stigmata somewhat paler and with pale annuli; the patch extends narrowly along costa to base and has its lower edge often lined with white scales; submarginal line pale, generally enlarged into an apical spot, preceded by a rufous brown shade and followed by two grey brown patches on the two folds, that on submedian being generally produced inwards to outer line; hindwing pale grey with dark cellspot and veins.[2]

Biology

This moth flies at night and is attracted to light and sugar. Its flight season in the British Isles is June through August.

Larva pinkish ochreous with a pale lateral line; the tubercles black; head yellow brown; thoracic and anal plates black brown. The larva feeds and overwinters on reed canary-grass (Phalaris arundinacea), Glyceria spectabilis and reed sweet-grass (Glyceria maxima).[3]

References
  1. (Troubridge et al. 1992)
  2. 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
  3. "Robinson, G. S., et al. 2010. HOSTS - A Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants. Natural History Museum, London".


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