Peridroma saucia

Peridroma saucia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Peridroma
Species: P. saucia
Binomial name
Peridroma saucia
Hübner, 1808
Synonyms
  • Noctua saucia Hübner, [1808]
  • Noctua polygona Borkhausen, 1792 (preocc.)
  • Noctua majuscula (Haworth, 1809)
  • Noctua margaritosa Haworth, 1809
  • Noctua aequa Hübner, [1813]
  • Noctua orophila Geyer, 1837
  • Agrotis inermis Harris, 1841
  • Spaelotis stictica Blanchard, 1852
  • Spaelotis infuscata (Blanchard, 1852)
  • Agrotis impacta Walker, [1857]
  • Agrotis intecta (Walker, [1857])
  • Agrotis ambrosioides Walker, 1857
  • Agrotis angulifera (Wallengren, 1860)
  • Agrotis ortonii Packard, 1869
  • Agrotis nigrocosta Tutt, 1892
  • Agrotis ochreacosta Tutt, 1892
  • Agrotis rufa Tutt, 1892
  • Agrotis brunnea Tutt, 1892
  • Agrotis philippsi Casparai, 1899
  • Agrotis ochronota (Hampson, 1903)
  • Agrotis cyrnaea Spuler, 1908
  • Agrotis fuscobrunnea (Strand, 1915)
  • Agrotis decolor Rebel, 1916
  • Agrotis tenebricosa Schawerda, 1929
  • Agrotis juncta Lempke, 1962
  • Agrotis saucia
  • Euxoa brunnea

Peridroma saucia, the pearly underwing or variegated cutworm, is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in southern and central Europe, but is also found further north because of its migratory nature. Elsewhere in the Palearctic ecozone it is found in North Africa, Asia Minor, Russia (including the Russian Far East and Siberia), China, Taiwan and Japan. In the Nearctic ecozone it is found in the U.S. and southern Canada and in the Neotropic ecozone in Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Sri Lanka.

Technical description and variation

For a key to the terms used, see Glossary of entomology terms.

The wingspan is 45–56 mm. The length of the forewings is 19–23 mm. Forewing grey-brown, varied with fuscous, generally with a strong reddish tinge; the stigmata outlined with brown, the lower half of reniform fuscous; hindwing semihyaline white; the veins dark; the marginal area brown. - The form margaritosa Haw. includes the more strongly marked and varied specimens, and wholly grey in colour; majuscula Haw. is fuscous black; ab. nigrocosta Tutt is greyish fuscous, sometimes tinged with reddish or ochreous: with a broad black shade along costal area which sometimes encloses the stigmata: ab. ochreacosta Tutt on the contrary has the inner marginal area darker while the whole costal area is pale;ab. rufa and brunnea Tutt are mere colour varieties.[1]

Biology

The moth flies from May to November depending on the location.

Larva reddish brown; dorsal line pale yellow, dark edged; spiracular line pale, black-edged above; a transverse black mark across segment 12; anal plate pale; head black-spotted. The larvae (who are known under the common name of variegated cutworm) feed on grasses and herbaceous plants.[2] Peridroma saucia is a major agricultural pest throughout the world, particularly in herbaceous crops but also in epidemic numbers affecting trees and shrubs.

References

  1. ↑ Seitz, A. Ed., 1914 Die Großschmetterlinge der Erde, Verlag Alfred Kernen, Stuttgart Band 3: Abt. 1, Die Großschmetterlinge des palaearktischen Faunengebietes, Die palaearktischen eulenartigen Nachtfalter, 1914
  2. ↑ "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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