Autographa jota

Autographa jota (plain golden Y) is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The nominate form is found in Europe.[1] Subspecies Autographa jota anatolica is found in Southern Balkans, South-western Asia, Turkey, the Caucasus, North-western Iran.

Autographa jota
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Autographa
Species:
A. jota
Binomial name
Autographa jota
Synonyms
  • Phalaena jota
  • Phalaena protea
  • Noctua inscripta
  • Plusia percontationis
  • Chrysodeixis aurigutta
  • Plusia ancora
  • Plusia bartholomaeii
  • Plusia jota var. baltica
  • Phytometra iota var. gammaaurina

Description
For a key to the terms used, see Glossary of entomology terms.

The wingspan is 36–44 millimetres (1.4–1.7 in).Forewing pale dull rosy, with olive fuscous shading; a brown spot at middle of base: inner and outer lines nearly straight, edged with brown; median area from inner margin to above middle ferruginous brown; a small V-shaped spot on vein 2 and a small round spot close beyond it pale golden; reniform stigma in part brownish edged; subterminal line suffusedly margined with olive brown, except above anal angle; hindwing fuscous brown, the terminal border darker; in the rarer form percontationis Tr. the two golden marks are coalescent; on the other hand the outer spot, and sometimes both, may be wanting as in the ab. inscripta Esp.; in the form inscripta, from the Baltic provinces of Bussia, the ground colour is much darker, especially in the lower part of the median area; a similar dark form, but with the golden markings confluent as in percontationis Tr., — subsp. [now species Autographa monogramma (Alphéraky, 1887)] monogramma Alph. is met with in Turkestan and the Ussuri district.[2]

Biology

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

The larvae feed on the leaves of a wide range of plants, including Urtica, Lamium, Stachys, Galeopsis, Eupatorium cannabinum, Vaccinium myrtillus, Salvia and Senecio.[3]

Subpspecies

There are two recognised subspecies:

  • Autographa jota anatolica (Southern Balkans, South-western Asia, Turkey, Caucasus, North-western Iran)
  • Autographa jota jota

References
  1. "Autographa jota (Linnaeus 1758)". Fauna Europaea. 2.6.2. August 29, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
  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., 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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