Genus Hadena Rank Species | ||
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Similar Hadena albimacula, Hadena perplexa, Hadena confusa, Hadena filograna, Hadena compta | ||
Hadena caesia, also called the grey, is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae. It has a scattered distribution all over Europe (see subspecies section).
Contents
Technical description and variation
The wingspan is 32–37 millimetres (1.3–1.5 in). Forewing blue grey, with a furry look, caused by dusky grey irroration; both folds tinged with fulvous; lines and markings often indistinct; upper stigmata pale, with yellow scales in their annuli; a dark antemedian band widened to inner margin and a less prominent dark submarginal cloud; a small dark blotch at middle of costa; hindwing dark fuscous, paler towards base; — manani Gregs. from the Isle of Man and the Irish coast, is uniformly darker slate colour; — ab. nigrescens Stgr., from the Pyrenees, Alps, and Mts. of Scandinavia is much darker, the forewing suffused with black; on the other hand [now full species Hadena clara] Stgr., from Armenia and Asia Minor, has the forewing greyer, with a pinkish tinge; the median area paler.
Biology
Adults are on wing from June to August.
Larva brownish ochreous, freckled with darker; a dorsal series of V-shaped marks; subdorsal line darker.The young larvae feed on capsules of various Silene species (including Silene nutans and Silene vulgaris). Later, they feed on the leaves. They overwinter as a pupa.