Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Tribe Tytini
Beck, 1996 Scientific name Tyta luctuosa Rank Species | Subphylum Hexapoda Family Noctuidae Genus Tyta
Billberg, 1820 Phylum Arthropoda Order Butterflies and moths | |
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Similar Butterflies and moths, Emmelia trabealis, Cryphia, Acontia, Caradrina | ||
Tyta luctuosa avi
Tyta luctuosa is a noctuid ("owlet") moth. Its common names include four-spotted moth and field bindweed moth. It is the only member of the genus Tyta, which forms a hitherto monotypic tribe Tytini in the Catocalinae subfamily.
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This moth is native to much of Europe, Asia, and North Africa. The adult moth is about eleven millimeters long and dark brown with one large white spot on each of its four wings. Two adult generations emerge each year, one in late spring and one in summer. In warm areas there is often a third generation. The female lays about 400 to 500 eggs. The larva is a brown caterpillar. The larva is the destructive stage. It eats leaves and flowers, especially new buds. This is the desired effect of this moth when it is used as an agent of biological pest control against field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis). It was first introduced into the United States in the 1980s to attack this agricultural weed, which is its main foodplant.
Four spotted moth tyta luctuosa tmavoskvrnka svla cov
