Hyphoraia testudinaria

Hyphoraia testudinaria, or Patton's tiger, is a moth of the family Erebidae. It was described by Geoffroy in 1785. It is found from northern Spain to southern and central France and southern Switzerland to north-eastern and southern Italy. It has also been recorded from Great Britain.[1] The habitat consists of grasslands, slopes, forest edges, clear dry forests, cliffs and mountain slopes, maquis, garigues and dry meadows.[2]

Patton's tiger
Male - Bolzano, Italy
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Erebidae
Subfamily: Arctiinae
Genus: Hyphoraia
Species:
H. testudinaria
Binomial name
Hyphoraia testudinaria
(Geoffroy in Fourcroy, 1785)
Synonyms
  • Phalaena testudinaria Geoffroy, 1785
  • Bombyx maculania Lang, 1789
  • Phalaena curialis Esper, 1789
  • Bombyx civica Hübner, 1790
  • Arctia maculata Caradja, 1893
  • Arctia testudinaria f. crocea Schultz, 1908
  • Hyphoraia meridialpina Daniel, 1939

The wingspan is 35–45 mm.[3] Adults are on wing in May and July.

The larvae feed on various low-growing plants, including Plantago, Rumex, Achillea, Euphorbia cyparissias, Potentilla, Hieracium, Taraxacum, Cynoglossum, Deschampsia, Calamagrostis.[4] The species overwinters in the larval stage. Pupation often takes place under flat stones.

References
  1. Patton's tiger on UKMoths
  2. Lepidoptera and Their Ecology
  3. Hants Moths
  4. Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa
  • Pitkin, Brian & Jenkins, Paul. "Search results Family: Arctiidae". Butterflies and Moths of the World. Natural History Museum, London.


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