''Udea fulvalis'' is a species of

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

Crambidae The Crambidae are the grass moth family of lepidopterans. They are variable in appearance, the nominal subfamily Crambinae (grass moths) taking up closely folded postures on grass stems where they are inconspicuous, while other subfamilies includ ...

. It was first described by

Jacob Hübner Jacob Hübner (20 June 1761 – 13 September 1826, in Augsburg) was a German entomologist. He was the author of ''Sammlung Europäischer Schmetterlinge'' (1796–1805), a founding work of entomology. Scientific career Hübner was the author of '' ...

in 1809.

Etymology

The species name ''fulvalis'' derives from the Latin ''fulvus'', meaning ''fulvous''.

Distribution

This species can be found in most of Europe. Fauna Europaea

Description

''Udea fulvalis'' 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 ...

measuring between 24 and 29 mm. UK Moths
/ref> The uppersides of the forewings of these moths show a fulvous brown or yellowish-brown colouration, with darker markings. Larvae are pale green, with a black head. Adults of this species are rather similar to '' Ebulea crocealis'' and ''

Udea prunalis ''Udea prunalis'' is a moth of the family Crambidae. It is found in Europe and China ( Gansu, Heilongjiang, Ningxia, Shanxi, Sichuan, Xinjiang). The species was first described by Matthew Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775. In the Butterf ...

''.

Biology

Adults are on wing in one generation a year ( univoltine species) from June to late August, depending on location. They preferably fly at night, when they come to light. Ledpidoptera of Belgium
/ref> The larvae mainly feed on a variety of plants of the family ''

Lamiaceae The Lamiaceae ( ) or Labiatae are a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint, deadnettle or sage family. Many of the plants are aromatic in all parts and include widely used culinary herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, sage, savory ...

'' (''

Ballota ''Ballota'' (horehound) is a genus of flowering evergreen perennial plants and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae. native to temperate regions. The Mediterranean region has the highest diversity in the genus, with more isolated locations in Sou ...

'', ''

Nepeta ''Nepeta'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae. The genus name is reportedly in reference to Nepete, an ancient Etruscan city.

'' and ''

Salvia pratensis ''Salvia pratensis'', the meadow clary or meadow sage, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, native to Europe, western Asia and northern Africa. The Latin specific epithet ''pratensis'' means "of meadows", referring to its ...

'', etc.), but also on

Cornus ''Cornus'' is a genus of about 30–60 species of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods, which can generally be distinguished by their blossoms, berries, and distinctive bark. Most are deciduous trees or shrub ...

and ''

Lychnis ''Silene'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae. Containing nearly 900 species, it is the largest genus in the family. Common names include campion and catchfly. Many ''Silene'' species are widely distributed, particularl ...

''. They pupate in a cocoon amongst leaves of the host plants.

References

External links

Lepiforum.de

''Udea fulvalis'' at Funet

* Paolo Mazzei, Daniel Morel, Raniero Panfi

fulvalis Moths of Europe Moths of Asia Moths described in 1809 {{Udea-stub