Photedes minima
Photedes minima, the small dotted buff, is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in Europe.
Small dotted buff | |
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Species: | P. minima |
Binomial name | |
Photedes minima (Haworth, 1809) | |
Technical description and variation
The wingspan is 20–23 mm. The length of the forewings is 11–14 mm. Forewing pale ochreous, slightly dusted with darker, and washed with pale ochraceous; the median area in female usually a little deeper coloured, especially in lower half; inner and outer lines fine, obscure, conversely lunulate-dentate, the teeth produced along the veins, sometimes paler-edged, generally marked only by vein-dashes; subterminal line faint, preceded by a diffuse dark shade, forming a patch at costa; hindwing ochreous, suffused with grey, thickly towards termen, with traces of a dark outer line; some specimens are more strongly suffused with ochraceous or rufous; these constitute the aberration lutescens Haw.[1]
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Biology
The moth flies from June to August depending on the location.
Larva ochreous, sometimes pinkish, with darker transverse bars at the segments; dorsal and subdorsal lines paler; head brown; thoracic plate paler brown. The larvae feed on tufted hair-grass en Deschampsia flexuosa.[2]
References
- 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
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- "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".