Heliothis viriplaca (Hufnagel, 1766) Species
Last modified: March 3, 2024, 6:18 p.m.
A very rare and irregular immigrant. Can establish itself for a while after an influx of immigrants. Not often observed.
Details
- Classification
- Family: Noctuidae > Subfamily: Heliothinae > Genus: Heliothis > Species: Heliothis viriplaca
- Vernacular names
- Lichte daguil (NL), Marbled Clover (EN), La Noctuelle de la Cardère (FR), Karden-Sonneneule (DE)
- Synonyms
- Heliothis dipsacea (Linnaeus, 1767)
- First mention in Belgium
- De Sélys-Longchamps E. 1844. Énumération des insectes Lépidoptères de la Belgique. — Mémoires de la Société royale des Sciences de Liége 2: 1–35. On page 14.
- Status
-
Migrant
Distribution
Imago
Wingspan: 30–36 mm.
Museum specimens
Specimens in nature
Bionomics
The caterpillars are frequently eating other caterpillars. Hibernates as a pupa in a flimsy cocoon on or below the ground.
It is active during the day in sunshine visiting flowers. They come to light.
No pictures yet!
Flight periods
The adults have been recorded from mid May till mid August, but most specimens were seen during June and July.
Observed on
- Host plant (genera):
- Linaria, Silene, Trifolium and Crepis
- Substrates:
- Herbaceous plants
The larva lives on the unripe seedheads and flowers of a variety of plants like: Silene, Sanguisorba, Ononis, Artemisia, Centaurea, Hieracium etc.
No pictures yet!
