Dusky Brocade
Encyclopedia
The Dusky Brocade is a moth
of the family Noctuidae
. It is distributed throughout Europe
. It has also been reported from Alaska
by Kononenko et al. in 1989.
Some authors consider Apamea indocilis
to be a subspecies of Apamea remissa.
This species has a wingspan
of 36-42 mm. Well marked individuals are fairly distinctive but there are many obscurely marked forms which can be difficult to separate from other species. The typical form has pale greyish-brown forewings with dark markings including a large blackish mark near the dorsum
and two spots at the termen
. The hindwings are greyish with darker venation. This moth flies at night in June and July and is attracted to light, sugar and nectar-rich flower
s.
The larva
feeds on various grass
es including Calamagrostis
, Deschampsia
, Festuca, Phalaris
and Secale
(Rye). This species overwinters as a larva, feeding during mild weather.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the family Noctuidae
Noctuidae
The Noctuidae or owlet moths are a family of robustly-built moths that includes more than 35,000 known species out of possibly 100,000 total, in more than 4,200 genera. They constitute the largest family in the Lepidoptera....
. It is distributed throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. It has also been reported from Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
by Kononenko et al. in 1989.
Some authors consider Apamea indocilis
Apamea indocilis
The Ignorant Apamea is a moth of the Noctuidae family. It is found from coast to coast in southern Canada and the northern United States, south in the east to Maryland, south in the west to central California....
to be a subspecies of Apamea remissa.
This species has a wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
of 36-42 mm. Well marked individuals are fairly distinctive but there are many obscurely marked forms which can be difficult to separate from other species. The typical form has pale greyish-brown forewings with dark markings including a large blackish mark near the dorsum
Dorsum (biology)
In anatomy, the dorsum is the upper side of animals that typically run, fly, or swim in a horizontal position, and the back side of animals that walk upright. In vertebrates the dorsum contains the backbone. The term dorsal refers to anatomical structures that are either situated toward or grow...
and two spots at the termen
Glossary of Lepidopteran terms
This glossary describes the terms used in the formal descriptions of insect species, jargon used mostly by professionals or entomologist....
. The hindwings are greyish with darker venation. This moth flies at night in June and July and is attracted to light, sugar and nectar-rich flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s.
The larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
feeds on various grass
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
es including Calamagrostis
Calamagrostis
Calamagrostis, or Small-reed or Reedgrass, is a genus in the Grass family Poaceae with about 260 species that occur mainly in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere and the southern hemisphere. Towards equatorial latitudes, species of Calamagrostis generally occur at higher elevations in...
, Deschampsia
Deschampsia
Deschampsia is a genus of grasses in the family Poaceae, commonly known as hair grass or tussock grass. There are 30 to 40 species....
, Festuca, Phalaris
Phalaris
Phalaris was the tyrant of Acragas in Sicily, from approximately 570 to 554 BC.-History:He was entrusted with the building of the temple of Zeus Atabyrius in the citadel, and took advantage of his position to make himself despot. Under his rule Agrigentum seems to have attained considerable...
and Secale
Secale
Secale is a genus of grasses in the Triticeae tribe. The most known member is rye .Other species include:*Secale montanum Guss.*Secale sylvestre Host....
(Rye). This species overwinters as a larva, feeding during mild weather.
- The flight season refers to the British IslesBritish IslesThe British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
. This may vary in other parts of the range.