Conistra vaccinii

Chestnut
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Conistra
Species: C. vaccinii
Binomial name
Conistra vaccinii
(Linnaeus, 1761)

The Chestnut (Conistra vaccinii) is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is distributed throughout Europe, North Africa and East through the Palearctic to Siberia.

Distribution

The species occurs on some Mediterranean islands (Balearics, Corsica and Sardinia) and in Northern Fennoscandia. Most of Europe, with the exception of southern Spain. The range extends South from Morocco in the West to the Mediterranean North Africa, through Anatolia to Turkestan and Western and Central Siberia. In the German central uplands, it rises up to about 1200 meters.

Description

The wingspan is 28–36 mm.Pattern and colouring are extremely variable. The colour varies from dove-grey to dark grey-brown, with light brown, light red, reddish-brown to black-brown markings. This has led to the distinction of formae (forms). The apex of the front wing is slightly concave. Head and thorax are coloured mostly according to the wing colour; the abdomen is partially or completely reddish brown. The inner and outer, serrated crossbars are usually darker than the colour and more or less clearly defined. These are often white lined specimens with much darker crossbars. Reniform and orbicular and stains can be as well shown, but also sometimes almost absent. There is always a black dot in the lower part of the reniform. The more or less significant medium shade is darker than the colour and has a strong median bulge . The wavy line is often a series of black dots. The moth flies from September to May depending on the location.

Recorded food plants

The larva feed on various deciduous trees and shrubs and in later stages also herbaceous plants.[1]

The species occurs in a wide range of habitats, from open forests, scrubland, downs, gardens and parkland to shrub-rich open country. The habitats can be dry or wet, cool or warm.

References

  1. ↑ "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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