Svensson's copper underwing explained

Svensson's copper underwing (Amphipyra berbera) is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Charles E. Rungs in 1949. It is distributed throughout Europe including Russia east to the Urals.

This species has a wingspan of 47–56 mm, the female usually larger than the male. The forewings are brown, marked with pale fascia and a dark-centred pale stigma. The hindwings are bright copper-coloured. This species is very similar to the copper underwing (Amphipyra pyramidea) but can usually be distinguished by the pattern on the underside of the hindwings: A. pyramidea has a pale central area, contrasting strongly with darker margins; A berbera is much more uniformly coloured. See Townsend et al.[1]

A. berbera flies at night from July to September and is attracted to light and strongly to sugar.

The larva feeds on a range of trees and shrubs (see list below). The species overwinters as an egg.

Recorded food plants

References

. Michael Chinery . 1991 . Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe.

. Bernard Skinner (entomologist) . 1984 . The Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Martin C. Townsend, Jon Clifton and Brian Goodey (2010). British and Irish Moths: An Illustrated Guide to Selected Difficult Species. (covering the use of genitalia characters and other features) Butterfly Conservation.
  2. Web site: Robinson . Gaden S. . Ackery . Phillip R. . Kitching . Ian J. . Beccaloni . George W. . Hernández . Luis M. . 2010 . Search the database - introduction and help . HOSTS - A Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants . Natural History Museum, London.