Kingdom Animalia Family Noctuidae Scientific name Peridroma saucia Higher classification Peridroma Order Butterflies and moths | Subphylum Hexapoda Genus Peridroma Phylum Arthropoda Rank Species | |
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Similar Peridroma, Butterflies and moths, Agrotis, Mythimna unipuncta, Dark sword‑grass | ||
Video peridroma saucia comiendo
Peridroma saucia, the pearly underwing or variegated cutworm, is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in southern and central Europe, but is also found further north because of its migratory nature. Elsewhere in the Palearctic ecozone it is found in North Africa, Asia Minor, Russia (including the Russian Far East and Siberia), China, Taiwan and Japan. In the Nearctic ecozone it is found in the U.S. and southern Canada and in the Neotropic ecozone in Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Sri Lanka.
Contents
Technical description and variation
The wingspan is 45–56 mm. The length of the forewings is 19–23 mm. Forewing grey-brown, varied with fuscous, generally with a strong reddish tinge; the stigmata outlined with brown, the lower half of reniform fuscous; hindwing semihyaline white; the veins dark; the marginal area brown. - The form margaritosa Haw. includes the more strongly marked and varied specimens, and wholly grey in colour; majuscula Haw. is fuscous black; ab. nigrocosta Tutt is greyish fuscous, sometimes tinged with reddish or ochreous: with a broad black shade along costal area which sometimes encloses the stigmata: ab. ochreacosta Tutt on the contrary has the inner marginal area darker while the whole costal area is pale;ab. rufa and brunnea Tutt are mere colour varieties.
Biology
The moth flies from May to November depending on the location.
Larva reddish brown; dorsal line pale yellow, dark edged; spiracular line pale, black-edged above; a transverse black mark across segment 12; anal plate pale; head black-spotted. The larvae (who are known under the common name of variegated cutworm) feed on grasses and herbaceous plants. Peridroma saucia is a major agricultural pest throughout the world, particularly in herbaceous crops but also in epidemic numbers affecting trees and shrubs.
