Phytometra viridaria
| Small purple-barred | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Superfamily: | Noctuoidea |
| Family: | Erebidae |
| Genus: | Phytometra |
| Species: | P. viridaria
|
| Binomial name | |
| Phytometra viridaria (Clerck, 1759)
| |
Phytometra viridaria, the small purple-barred, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Carl Alexander Clerck in 1759.[1] It is found in central and southern Europe, Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Armenia, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and further east across the Palearctic to southern Siberia.
Technical description and variation[edit]
The wingspan is 19–20 mm. The length of the forewings is 9–11 mm. Forewing olive brownish; the costa at base, and an outer and terminal fascia deep rosy purple; the outer band varying in width; a pale line of ground colour between them; hindwing olive with a median and terminal darker band more or less tinged with purple; in ab. fusca Tutt the purple tints are replaced by dark brown; —ab. aenea Hbn. the ground colour is olive grey or fuscous instead of green; ab. suffusa Tutt is a rare form, blackish fuscous with a still darker terminal border.[2]
Biology[edit]
The moth flies from April to August depending on the location.
Larva green with darker pale-edged dorsal line; the other lines pale, the subspiracular becoming white on anal segments.
The larvae feed on Polygala vulgaris, Polygala serpyllifolia and Pedicularis sylvatica.
References[edit]
- ^ Savela, Markku (3 July 2019). "Phytometra viridaria (Clerck, 1759)". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
- ^ 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
External links[edit]
- Kimber, Ian. "72.067 BF2470 Small Purple-barred Phytometra viridaria (Clerck, 1759)". UKMoths. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
- Fauna Europaea
- Lepiforum e.V. (in German)
- De Vlinderstichting (in Dutch)