Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Superfamily Noctuoidea Scientific name Cymbalophora pudica | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Family Erebidae Rank Species | |
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Similar Cymbalophora, Chelis maculosa, Atlantarctia tigrina, Spiris striata, Epicallia villica | ||
Cymbalophora pudica
Cymbalophora pudica, common name Discrete Chaperon, is a moth of the family Erebidae.
Contents
Varieties
Distribution
Cymbalophora pudica can be found in Southern Europe from the Iberian Peninsula to Greece and in Western North Africa. These moths prefer sunny, rocky areas, grasslands, scrublands and mountain slopes at low to middle elevations.
Description
The wingspan of Cymbalophora pudica can reach 35–42 mm in males, of 35–42 mm in females. The background color of the wings and the shape of their markings are raher variable. The external surface of the forewings usually may be milky-white or pinkish, with a pattern of black triangular patches. Hindwings vary from white to pinkish with marginal spots. The blackish-haired thorax is characterized by two yellowish longitudinal stripes and by a broad, yellowish cervical spine. The antennae of the males are ciliated, while those of the females are filiform. The abdomen is reddish with black spots.
The wings may be shaded with yellowish in Cymbalophora f. flaveola Schultz, 1906, in gray in Cymbalophora f. fumosa Oberthür, 1911. Cymbalophora f. Cohaerens Schultz, 1905 shows confluent spots. Very pink forms are called rosina. The caterpillars are gray-brown, hairy, and covered with black-brown warts on each segment.
Like other species of the genus Cymbalophora ("cymbal bearers"), males are capable of emitting souds from their wings during flight.
Biology
This species is univoltine. Caterpillars can be found from May to June. Then they construct their cocoons and rest longly in the cocoon prior to pupation. The moths are on wing from August to September depending on the location. The larvae feed on Taraxacum officinale, Stipa species, Brachypodium phoenicoides, Festuca species, various grasses (Poaceae) and other low growing plants.