Willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist s ...

s, sallows and osiers (''Salix'' species) are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) 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. The ...

e (

caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...

s) of a large number of

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

species including the following.

Monophagous A generalist species is able to thrive in a wide variety of environmental conditions and can make use of a variety of different resources (for example, a heterotroph with a varied diet). A specialist species can thrive only in a narrow range of env ...
species

Species that feed exclusively on ''Salix''. *

Batrachedridae The Batrachedridae are a small family of tiny moths. These are small, slender moths which rest with their wings wrapped tightly around their bodies. Taxonomy The taxonomy of this and related groups is often disputed. This group was first propos ...

** '' Batrachedra salicipomenella'' *

Coleophoridae __NOTOC__ The Coleophoridae are a family of small moths, belonging to the huge superfamily Gelechioidea. Collectively known as case-bearers, casebearing moths or case moths, this family is represented on all continents, but the majority are found ...

** Several ''

Coleophora ''Coleophora'' is a very large genus of moths of the family Coleophoridae. It contains some 1,350 described species. The genus is represented on all continents, but the majority are found in the Nearctic and Palaearctic regions. Many authors hav ...

'' case-bearer species: *** '' C. albidella'' – only on '' S. aurita'', goat willow ('' S. caprea''), grey willow ('' S. cinerea'') and '' S. repens'' *** '' C. bedella'' – only on '' S. excelsa'' *** '' C. castipennella'' *** '' C. kearfottella'' *** '' C. zelleriella'' *

Geometridae The geometer moths are moths belonging to the family Geometridae of the insect order Lepidoptera, the moths and butterflies. Their scientific name derives from the Ancient Greek ''geo'' γεω (derivative form of or "the earth"), and ''met ...

** Slender pug (''Eupithecia tenuiata'') *

Hepialidae The Hepialidae are a family of insects in the lepidopteran order. Moths of this family are often referred to as swift moths or ghost moths. Taxonomy and systematics The Hepialidae constitute by far the most diverse group of the infraorder Exopo ...

** ''

Sthenopis thule ''Sthenopis thule'', the willow ghost moth, is a species of moth of the family Hepialidae. It was described by Strecker in 1875, and is known from Canada and the United States, including Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan. The food plant for thi ...

'' *

Nepticulidae Nepticulidae is a family of very small moths with a worldwide distribution. They are characterised by eyecaps over the eyes (see also Opostegidae, Bucculatricidae, Lyonetiidae). These pigmy moths or midget moths, as they are commonly known, incl ...

** ''

Ectoedemia intimella ''Ectoedemia intimella'' is a moth of the family Nepticulidae which is found in Europe. It flies in June and July and the larva mine the leaves of willows (''Salix'' species) from July to November. Description The wingspan is 5.3 to 6.8 m ...

'' *

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 ...

Minor shoulder-knot The minor shoulder-knot (''Brachylomia viminalis'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1776. It is distributed throughout Europe then east across the Palearctic to Siberia and Japan. ...

(''Brachylomia viminalis'') *

Sesiidae The Sesiidae or clearwing moths are a diurnal moth family in the order Lepidoptera known for their Batesian mimicry in both appearance and behaviour of various Hymenoptera. The family consists of 165 genera spread over two subfamilies, contai ...

** Sallow clearwing ('' Synanthedon flaviventris'') *

Tortricidae The Tortricidae are a family of moths, commonly known as tortrix moths or leafroller moths, in the order Lepidoptera. This large family has over 11,000 species described, and is the sole member of the superfamily Tortricoidea, although the genu ...

** ''

Cydia servillana ''Cydia servillana'' is a moth of the family Tortricidae which forms galls on the young shoots of willow (''Salix'' species). It was first described by Philogène Auguste Joseph Duponchel in 1836. Description A single egg is laid on the buds of t ...

Polyphagous Feeding is the process by which organisms, typically animals, obtain food. Terminology often uses either the suffixes -vore, -vory, or -vorous from Latin ''vorare'', meaning "to devour", or -phage, -phagy, or -phagous from Greek φαγε ...
species

Species that feed on ''Salix'' and other plants. *

Arctiidae The Arctiinae (formerly called the family Arctiidae) are a large and diverse subfamily of moths with around 11,000 species found all over the world, including 6,000 neotropical species.Scoble, MJ. (1995). ''The Lepidoptera: Form, Function and D ...

Giant leopard moth The giant leopard moth (''Hypercompe scribonia'') is a moth of the family Erebidae. They are distributed through North America from southern Ontario, and southern and eastern United States through New England, Mexico and south to Colombia. The ...

(''Ecpantheria scribonia'') *

** ''

Batrachedra praeangusta ''Batrachedra praeangusta'' is a moth of the family Batrachedridae which is native to Europe. It is also found in North America. It was first described by Adrian Haworth in 1828 from the type specimen found in England. The foodplants of the lar ...

'' ** '' Batrachedra striolata'' – recorded on arroyo willow ('' Salix lasiolepsis'') *

Bedelliidae Bedelliidae is a small family of small, narrow-winged 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 ...

** ''

Bedellia somnulentella ''Bedellia somnulentella'', the sweet potato leaf miner, is a moth in the family Bedelliidae. Description The wingspan is 8–10 mm. The larvae feed on '' Calystegia pubescens'', ''Calystegia sepium'', ''Convolvulus althaeoides'', ''Convo ...

'' *

** Several ''

'' case-bearer species: *** '' C. anatipennella'' *** '' C. atlantica'' *** '' C. currucipennella'' *** '' C. lusciniaepennella'' *** '' C. malivorella'' *** '' C. piperata'' *** '' C. pruniella'' – recorded on crack willow ('' Salix fragilis'') *** '' C. salicivorella'' *

** ''

Agriopis marginaria The dotted border (''Agriopis marginaria'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1776. It is found throughout Europe, except the far north, and the Near East. The female of this ...

'' (dotted border) ** ''

Alcis repandata The mottled beauty (''Alcis repandata'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. Subspecies and forms Subspecies and forms include: *''Alcis repan ...

'' (mottled beauty) ** ''

Cabera exanthemata The common wave (''Cabera exanthemata'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Giovanni Antonio Scopoli in his 1763 ''Entomologia Carniolica''. It is found throughout the Palearctic region and the Near East. ...

'' (common wave) ** ''

Cabera pusaria The common white wave (''Cabera pusaria'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. It is found throughout the Palearctic region .The habitat is decid ...

'' (common white wave) ** ''

Chloroclysta truncata The common marbled carpet (''Dysstroma truncata'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is sometimes placed in the genus '' Chloroclysta''. It is very common throughout the Palearctic region and the Near East. The species was first described ...

'' (common marbled carpet) ** ''

Colotois pennaria The feathered thorn (''Colotois pennaria'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1761. Etymology The common name derives from the very strong feathering on the antennae of the male. Also the species n ...

'' (feathered thorn) ** ''

Crocallis elinguaria The scalloped oak (''Crocallis elinguaria'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. Distribution This common species can be found from Europe to eas ...

'' (scalloped oak) ** ''

Ectropis crepuscularia The engrailed and small engrailed (''Ectropis crepuscularia'') are moths of the family Geometridae found from the British Isles through central and eastern Europe to the Russian Far East and Kazakhstan. The western Mediterranean and Asia Minor ...

'' (engrailed) ** ''

Epirrita autumnata The autumnal moth (''Epirrita autumnata'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Moritz Balthasar Borkhausen in 1794. It is found throughout the Palearctic region and the Near East and has a much wider distri ...

'' (autumnal moth) ** ''

Eupithecia pusillata The juniper pug or juniper looper (''Eupithecia pusillata'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775. It is found throughout the Palearctic and in the Nearctic. Sub ...

'' (juniper pug) – Americas only ** ''

Eupithecia subfuscata The grey pug (''Eupithecia subfuscata'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found throughout the Palearctic region. It is also found in North America. Since it does not place any special demands on climatic conditions, special caterpilla ...

'' (grey pug) ** ''

Eupithecia vulgata The common pug ''(Eupithecia vulgata)'' is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is a common species across the Palearctic region, including the Near East and North Africa. It ranges from the Atlantic coast of Ireland and Portugal across Europe, ...

'' (common pug) ** ''

Hemithea aestivaria The common emerald (''Hemithea aestivaria'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species is found throughout the Nearctic and Palearctic regions and the Near East. It is mostly commonly found in the southern half of the British Isles. It was ...

'' (common emerald) ** ''

Lomaspilis marginata The clouded border (''Lomaspilis marginata'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. It is distributed across most of Europe to the Urals, western an ...

'' (clouded border) ** ''

Odontopera bidentata The scalloped hazel (''Odontopera bidentata'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Carl Alexander Clerck in 1759. Distribution It is a common species of northern and central Europe including the British Is ...

'' (scalloped hazel) ** ''

Operophtera brumata :''In North America, "winter moth" usually denotes the invasive species ''Operophtera brumata'', but may also mean refer to a native species, ''Erannis tiliaria'' (linden looper) or '' Operophtera bruceata'' (bruce spanworm).'' The winter moth (' ...

'' (winter moth) ** ''

Opisthograptis luteolata The brimstone moth (''Opisthograptis luteolata'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. It should not be confused with the brimstone butterfly Gone ...

'' (brimstone moth) *

** ''

Sthenopis argenteomaculatus ''Sthenopis argenteomaculatus'', the silver-spotted ghost moth, is a species of moth of the family Hepialidae. It was described by Thaddeus William Harris in 1841, and is known in North America from Nova Scotia to North Carolina and west t ...

'' ** ''

Sthenopis purpurascens ''Sthenopis purpurascens'', the four-spotted ghost moth, is a species of moth of the family Hepialidae. It was described by Packard in 1863. It is found in Canada and the United States, from Labrador and New York north and west to British Columb ...

'' *

Lymantriidae The Lymantriinae (formerly called the Lymantriidae) are a subfamily of moths of the family Erebidae. The taxon was erected by George Hampson in 1893. Many of its component species are referred to as "tussock moths" of one sort or another. The cat ...

** ''

Euproctis chrysorrhoea The brown-tail moth (''Euproctis chrysorrhoea'') is a moth of the family Erebidae. It is native to Europe, neighboring countries in Asia, and the north coast of Africa. Descriptions of outbreaks, i.e., large population increases of several year ...

'' (brown-tail) ** '' Euproctis similis'' (yellow-tail) ** ''

Lymantria dispar ''Lymantria dispar'', also known as the gypsy moth or the spongy moth, is a species of moth in the family Erebidae. ''Lymantria dispar'' is subdivided into several subspecies, with subspecies such as ''L. d. dispar'' and ''L. d. japonica'' bei ...

'' (gypsy moth) *

** '' Stigmella salicis'' – also found on ''

Myrica gale ''Myrica gale'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Myricaceae, native to parts of Japan, North Korea, Russia, mainland Europe, the British Isles and parts of northern North America, in Canada and the United States. Common names include ...

'' *

** ''

Acronicta leporina The miller (''Acronicta leporina'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found throughout Europe apart from the far south-east. The range extends from the South of Spain, Central Italy and Bulgaria to Scotland and Central Scandinavia, cros ...

'' (miller) ** ''

Acronicta megacephala The poplar grey (''Acronicta megacephala'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found throughout Europe. Technical description and variation ''A. megacephala'' F. (3b). Forewing pale grey, suffused with dark, except in a patch beyond cell ...

'' (poplar grey) ** ''

Acronicta psi The grey dagger (''Acronicta psi'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. Distribution This species can be found from Europe and North Africa to northern Iran, central Asia, southern and central Siberia and Mongolia. In the Levant it is found in ...

'' (grey dagger) ** ''

Acronicta tridens The dark dagger (''Acronicta tridens'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775. It is distributed throughout Europe (from southern Fennoscandia to the Balkans and Ita ...

'' (dark dagger) ** ''

Agrochola circellaris ''Agrochola circellaris'', or The Brick, is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Johann Siegfried Hufnagel in 1766. It is distributed throughout most of Europe, Asia Minor and Armenia. This is a variabl ...

'' (brick) – recorded on common osier ('' S. viminalis'') ** '' Amphipyra berbera'' (Svensson's copper underwing) ** ''

Amphipyra tragopoginis The mouse moth (''Amphipyra tragopoginis'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is a widespread species with a Holarctic distribution. Distribution Europe (except the extreme north, and not occurring in the south of Spain, Sicily, or the Balka ...

'' (mouse moth) ** ''

Antitype chi The grey chi (; ''Antitype chi'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. It is distributed throughout Europe, although it is not present in southern S ...

'' (grey chi) ** '' Catocala cara'' (darling underwing) – prefers black willow ('' S. nigra'') ** '' Catocala delilah'' (Delilah underwing) ** '' Catocala junctura'' (joined underwing) ** ''

Cosmia trapezina The dun-bar (''Cosmia trapezina'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is a common Palearctic species. Distribution The species occurs throughout almost the whole of Europe. In the north, the range extends to Middle Fennoscandia, in the eas ...

'' (dun-bar) ** ''

Diarsia mendica The ingrailed clay (''Diarsia mendica'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775. It is distributed through most of Europe and the Palearctic. This species occurs in a huge range ...

'' (ingrailed clay) ** '' Diarsia rubi'' (small square-spot) ** ''

Eugnorisma glareosa The autumnal rustic (''Eugnorisma glareosa'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Eugenius Johann Christoph Esper in 1788. It was previously placed in the genus '' Paradiarsia''. It is found in northern and west ...

'' (autumnal rustic) ** '' Euplexia lucipara'' (small angle shades) ** ''

Eupsilia transversa ''Eupsilia transversa'', the satellite, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Johann Siegfried Hufnagel in 1766. It is distributed throughout the Palearctic. This is a fairly variable species with greyish or ...

'' (satellite) ** ''

Melanchra persicariae The dot moth (''Melanchra persicariae'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1761. It is a very distinctive species with very dark brown, almost black, forewings marked with a large white stigm ...

'' (dot moth) ** ''

Naenia typica The Gothic (''Naenia typica'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. It is distributed in temperate Eurasia, in the Palearctic realm, including Europ ...

'' (gothic) ** ''

Noctua comes The lesser yellow underwing (''Noctua comes'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. Distribution It is found in the Palearctic realm (Europe, North Africa, Canary Islands, Middle East, South Russia, Caucasus, Transcaucasia, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, A ...

'' (lesser yellow underwing) ** ''

Noctua janthina The lesser broad-bordered yellow underwing or Langmaid's yellow underwing (''Noctua janthina'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is distributed throughout southern and central Europe, and southern Sweden. Like other members of its genu ...

'' (lesser broad-bordered yellow underwing) ** ''

Ochropleura plecta The flame shoulder (''Ochropleura plecta'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1761. It is distributed throughout the Palearctic from Ireland in the west to Siberia then Korea and Japan in th ...

'' (flame shoulder) ** ''

Orthosia cerasi The common Quaker (''Orthosia cerasi'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775. Some authors prefer the synonym ''Orthosia stabilis'' ( Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775). It is distributed througho ...

'' (common Quaker) ** ''

Orthosia gothica The Hebrew character (''Orthosia gothica'') is a moth in the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. It is found throughout Europe. Both the common and binomial name ...

'' (Hebrew character) ** ''

Xestia triangulum The double square-spot (''Xestia triangulum'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is distributed through most of Europe except Portugal, the Mediterranean islands and northernmost Fennoscandia. In the East, the species ranges East across th ...

'' (double square-spot) ** ''

Xestia xanthographa The square-spot rustic (''Xestia xanthographa'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in Europe, North Africa and east across the Palearctic (excluding China) and in North America. The species is quite variable in appearance, the for ...

'' (square-spot rustic) *

Notodontidae Notodontidae is a family of moths with approximately 3,800 known species. The family was described by James Francis Stephens in 1829. Moths of this family are found in all parts of the world, but they are most concentrated in tropical areas, espe ...

** '' Furcula bifida'' (poplar kitten) ** ''

Nadata gibbosa The rough prominent (''Nadata gibbosa'') is a moth of the family Notodontidae, subfamily Phalerinae. It is also known as the white-dotted prominent and the tawny prominent. The species was first described by James Edward Smith in 1797. This c ...

'' (rough prominent) ** ''

Phalera bucephala The buff-tip (''Phalera bucephala'') is a moth of the family Notodontidae. It is found throughout Europe and in Asia to eastern Siberia. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. Descri ...

'' (buff-tip) ** '' Ptilodon capucina'' (coxcomb prominent) *

Nymphalidae The Nymphalidae are the largest family of butterflies, with more than 6,000 species distributed throughout most of the world. Belonging to the superfamily Papilionoidea, they are usually medium-sized to large butterflies. Most species have a red ...

** '' Limenitis archippus'' (viceroy butterfly) ** ''

Limenitis arthemis ''Limenitis arthemis,'' the red-spotted purple or white admiral, is a North American butterfly species in the cosmopolitan genus ''Limenitis''. It has been studied for its evolution of mimicry, and for the several stable hybrid wing patterns wi ...

'' (American white admiral/red-spotted purple) – recorded on beaked willow ('' S. bebbiana'') and others *

Pyralidae The Pyralidae, commonly called pyralid moths, snout moths or grass moths, are a family of Lepidoptera in the ditrysian superfamily Pyraloidea. In many (particularly older) classifications, the grass moths (Crambidae) are included in the Pyrali ...

** '' Endotricha flammealis'' *

Saturniidae Saturniidae, commonly known as saturniids, is a family of Lepidoptera with an estimated 2,300 described species. The family contains some of the largest species of moths in the world. Notable members include the emperor moths, royal moths, and gi ...

** ''

Automeris io ''Automeris io'', the Io moth () or peacock moth, is a colorful North American moth in the family Saturniidae. The io moth is also a member of the subfamily Hemileucinae. The name Io comes from Greek mythology in which Io was a mortal lover of ...

'' (Io moth) ** ''

Pavonia pavonia ''Saturnia pavonia'', the small emperor moth, is a moth of the family Saturniidae. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. Sometimes, the incorrect genus name ''Pavonia'' is still used for this ...

'' (emperor moth) *

** Red-tipped clearwing (''

Synanthedon formicaeformis ''Synanthedon formicaeformis'', the red-tipped clearwing, is a moth of the family Sesiidae and can be found in all of Europe, the eastern Palearctic realm, and the Near East. The larvae sometimes form pear-shaped galls on willows (''Salix'' spp). ...

'') *

Sphingidae The Sphingidae are a family of moths (Lepidoptera) called sphinx moths, also colloquially known as hawk moths, with many of their caterpillars known as “hornworms”; it includes about 1,450 species. It is best represented in the tropics, bu ...

** ''

Laothoe populi ''Laothoe populi'', the poplar hawk-moth, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. It is found throughout the Palearctic region and the Near East and ...

'' (poplar hawk-moth) ** ''

Smerinthus jamaicensis ''Smerinthus jamaicensis'', the twin-spotted sphinx, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Dru Drury in 1773. Distribution It is widely distributed across North America. It has been taken as far north as the ...

'' (twin-spotted sphinx)

References

External links

*{{cite web , last1=Robinson , first1=Gaden S. , last2=Ackery , first2=Phillip R. , last3=Kitching , first3=Ian J. , last4=Beccaloni , first4=George W. , last5=Hernández , first5=Luis M. , name-list-style=amp , date=2010 , url=https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/data/hostplants/search/list.dsml?&PGenus=Salix&sort=Family , title=Hostplant Genus: ''Salix'' , website=HOSTS - A Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants , publisher=

Natural History Museum, London The Natural History Museum in London is a museum that exhibits a vast range of specimens from various segments of natural history. It is one of three major museums on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, the others being the Science Museum an ...

Willows Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist so ...

+Lepidoptera

Monophagous A generalist species is able to thrive in a wide variety of environmental conditions and can make use of a variety of different resources (for example, a heterotroph with a varied diet). A specialist species can thrive only in a narrow range of env ... species

Polyphagous Feeding is the process by which organisms, typically animals, obtain food. Terminology often uses either the suffixes -vore, -vory, or -vorous from Latin ''vorare'', meaning "to devour", or -phage, -phagy, or -phagous from Greek φαγε ... species

References

External links

Monophagous A generalist species is able to thrive in a wide variety of environmental conditions and can make use of a variety of different resources (for example, a heterotroph with a varied diet). A specialist species can thrive only in a narrow range of env ...
species

Polyphagous Feeding is the process by which organisms, typically animals, obtain food. Terminology often uses either the suffixes -vore, -vory, or -vorous from Latin ''vorare'', meaning "to devour", or -phage, -phagy, or -phagous from Greek φαγε ...
species