Lithophane leautieri

Blair's shoulder-knot
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Superfamily:	Noctuoidea
Family:	Noctuidae
Genus:	Lithophane
Species:	L. leautieri
Binomial name
	Lithophane leautieri; (Boisduval, 1829)

Lithophane leautieri, the Blair's shoulder-knot, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in Europe. It originated from the area surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, but gradually moved north.

Technical description and variation[edit]

The wingspan is 39–44 mm. Forewing pale grey, dusted with olive grey; lines strongly dentate, but much obscured, marked by short oblique costal streaks; upper stigmata ill-defined, but united at their base by a long black line; the reniform with fulvous in lower half; claviform elongate, black-edged, united by a short black streak with outer line; a well-marked black streak from base on submedian fold; submarginal line indicated only by black dentate marks preceding it, of which the two on the folds are longest; fringe mottled dark and light grey; hindwing pale brownish grey, darker towards termen; ab. sabinae Geyer is rather smaller, blue-grey, more distinctly marked, especially the median shade and submarginal teeth; reniform stigma with hardly any fulvous in it; the two black lines on submedian fold hardly visible.^[1]

Biology[edit]

The moth flies from September to mid-November.^[1]

The larva is dark green, dorsal and subdorsal lines white, segmentally swollen and partially interrupted; spiracular line yellowish white. The larvae feed on various cypress species.^[2]

Notes[edit]

^ The flight season refers to Belgium and The Netherlands. This may vary in other parts of the range.

References[edit]

^ 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
^ "Robinson, G. S., P. R. Ackery, I. J. Kitching, G. W. Beccaloni & L. M. Hernández, 2010. Hosts – A Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants. Natural History Museum, London".

External links[edit]

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[1] 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

[2] "Robinson, G. S., P. R. Ackery, I. J. Kitching, G. W. Beccaloni & L. M. Hernández, 2010. Hosts – A Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants. Natural History Museum, London".

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