Phytometra viridaria

Phytometra viridaria, the small purple-barred, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Carl Alexander Clerck in 1759.[1] It is found in central and southern Europe, Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Armenia, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and further east across the Palearctic to southern Siberia.

Dorsal view
Lateral view

Small purple-barred
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Erebidae
Genus: Phytometra
Species:
P. viridaria
Binomial name
Phytometra viridaria
(Clerck, 1759)

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

The wingspan is 19–20 mm. The length of the forewings is 9–11 mm. Forewing olive brownish; the costa at base, and an outer and terminal fascia deep rosy purple; the outer band varying in width; a pale line of ground colour between them; hindwing olive with a median and terminal darker band more or less tinged with purple; in ab. fusca Tutt the purple tints are replaced by dark brown; —ab. aenea Hbn. the ground colour is olive grey or fuscous instead of green; ab. suffusa Tutt is a rare form, blackish fuscous with a still darker terminal border.[2]

Biology

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

Larva green with darker pale-edged dorsal line; the other lines pale, the subspiracular becoming white on anal segments.

The larvae feed on Polygala vulgaris, Polygala serpyllifolia and Pedicularis sylvatica.

References
  1. Savela, Markku (3 July 2019). "Phytometra viridaria (Clerck, 1759)". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  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
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