Mesoligia literosa

Mesoligia literosa, the rosy minor, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Adrian Hardy Haworth in 1809. It is found throughout Europe, North Africa and western Asia.[1][2][3] and east across the Palearctic to Siberia.

Rosy minor
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Noctuidae
Genus:	Mesoligia
Species:	M. literosa
Binomial name
Mesoligia literosa (Haworth, 1809)
Synonyms
Noctua literosa Haworth, 1809 Noctua erratricula Hübner, 1813 Apamea suffuruncula Treitschke, 1825 Apamea onychina Herrich-Schäffer, 1856 Miana literosa (Haworth, 1809) Litoligia literosa (Haworth, 1809) Miana erratricula var. powelli Oberthür, 1918 Miana literosa f. hispanica Heydemann, 1942 Mesoligia literosa minorasia Rezbanyai-Reser, 1998 Mesoligia literosa siciliana Rezbanyai-Reser, 1998 Hadena literosa var. subarcta Staudinger, 1897

Technical description and variation

The wingspan is 23–30 mm. Forewing violet grey, with a partial rosy-brown flush; the costa, cell, and median area dark fuscous, the costa often remaining pale; inner and outer lines dark, conversely edged with pale, the inner strongly outcurved below middle, closely approximated to the erect lower half of outer line; a black bar from line to line along submedian fold; claviform stigma obsolete, or minute; orbicular grey, with edge only black margined, the margin straight and forming nearly a straight line with the lower half of outer line; submarginal line pale grey, the shade before it red brown, the terminal area dark grey; hindwing greyish fuscous; in the ab. constricta ab. nov. [Warren] principally confined to the males, the median area between the two lines is narrowed and much darker, especially in the two folds, and the red flush is less developed; — the form subarcta Stgr. from Sicily, Palestine, and western Siberia, has longer wings and no red tints whatever except the praesubmarginal shade; this form will, I feel sure, be proved distinct; on the other hand the darker grey and fuscous tints may be reduced and the whole forewing suffused with rosy brown, the whole thorax also showing rufous. - ab. subrosea this is a common form in England; – onychina H.-Sch. shows a still further reduction of the dark tints, the whole forewing being creamy grey, the usual darker median area and the shade before submarginal line showing in certain lights pale golden brownish; the hindwing pale grey; this form occurs in Heligoland, Norderney, and other islands, the coloration being assimilated to the sandy coasts.[4]

Biology

The moth flies in July and August.

Larva either yellowish with two broad reddish subdorsal lines, or greenish yellow with grey subdorsal and lateral lines; head and thoracic plate black brown. The larva of the coast form, according to Aurivillius, is whitish with the dorsum reddish and small brown head. The larvae overwinter and feed on various grasses, including glaucous sedge and cock's-foot.[5]

References

1. Savela, Markku. "Mesoligia literosa (Haworth, 1809)". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
2. Bert Gustafsson (9 February 2011). "Mesoligia literosa". Naturhistoriska riksmuseet. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
3. Wall, Mike. "2342 Rosy Minor (Mesoligia literosa)". Hantsmoths. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
4. 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
5. Robinson, Gaden S.; Ackery, Phillip R.; Kitching, Ian J.; Beccaloni, George W.; Hernández, Luis M. (2010). "Search the database - introduction and help". HOSTS - A Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants. Natural History Museum, London.

External links

• Litoligia literosa at Fauna Europaea
• Litoligia literosa at Lepiforum e.V.