:''The ''Phalaena (Noctua) ochreago'' invalidly described by Esper in 1791 is '' Tiliacea citrago. ''Xestia ochreago'' is a

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

of the family

Noctuidae The Noctuidae, commonly known as owlet moths, cutworms or armyworms, are a family of moths. They are considered the most controversial family in the superfamily Noctuoidea because many of the clades are constantly changing, along with the other f ...

Description

''Xestia ochreago'' has a

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingspan of ...

of 37–39 mm. The forewings are basically yellowish or pale brown, with transversal wavy dark brown lines and with yellowish rings surrounded by darker fine lines. At the lower rim of the kidney shaped ring there is a characteristic brownish stain. The hind wings are greyish or pale brown.

Biology

Adults are mainly day-active and are on wing from the end of June to August in one generation per year. Adults are found on flowers of ''

Scabiosa ''Scabiosa'' is a genus in the honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae) of flowering plants. Many of the species in this genus have common names that include the word scabious, but some plants commonly known as scabious are currently classified in r ...

'', ''

Adenostyles ''Adenostyles'' is a genus of flowering plants in the sunflower family Asteraceae, and of the tribe Senecioneae. It was described as a genus in 1816. ''Adenostyles'' occur in the temperate climates of the northern hemisphere, mainly in Europe and ...

'' and ''

Cirsium spinosissimum ''Cirsium spinosissimum'', common name spiniest thistle, is a European species of thistle which grows in dry rocky areas. It is found in France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and the Balkans. The plant is between tall. Leaves, stems, an ...

''. The larvae feed on various plants, including ''

Verbascum ''Verbascum'' is a genus of over 450 species of flowering plants, common name mullein (), in the figwort family Scrophulariaceae. They are native to Europe and Asia, with the highest species diversity in the Mediterranean. Mullein or "mullein le ...

'' and ''

Tussilago farfara ''Tussilago farfara'', commonly known as coltsfoot, is a plant in the tribe Senecioneae in the family Asteraceae, native to Europe and parts of western and central Asia. The name "tussilago" is derived from the Latin ''tussis'', meaning cough, an ...

''. This species overwinters as a caterpillar.

Distribution and habitat

This species is found in the Mediterranean and Asia. In Europe it is found in the mountains of

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, the mountains in the eastern

Balkan The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

and the

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...

.Funet
/ref> It is found up to heights of 2,500 meters.

Bibliography

*LepIndex: The Global Lepidoptera Names Index. Beccaloni G.W., Scoble M.J., Robinson G.S. & Pitkin B. *Michael Fibiger: Noctuinae II. In: W. G. Tremewan (Hrsg.): Noctuidae Europaeae. 1. Auflage. Band 2, Entomological Press, Sorø 1993, . *W. Forster, T. A. Wohlfahrt: Die Schmetterlinge Mitteleuropas, Band IV, Eulen. Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1971 * Erstbeschreibung: HÜBNER, J. 800-1838 Sammlung europäischer Schmetterlinge 4: pl. 1-185

References

External links

Lepiforum e.V.schmetterlinge-deutschlands.de
Xestia Moths described in 1790 Moths of Asia Moths of Europe Taxa named by Jacob Hübner {{Xestia-stub