Emmelia trabealis

Emmelia trabealis
Emmelia trabealis. Dorsal view
Lateral view
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Noctuidae
Subfamily:	Acontiinae
Genus:	Emmelia
Species:	E. trabealis
Binomial name
Emmelia trabealis (Scopoli, 1763)
Synonyms
List Phalaena trabealis Scopoli, 1763 Acontia trabealis Scopoli, 1763 Phalaena arabica Hufnagel, 1766 Phalaena Pyralis sulphuralis Linnaeus, 1767 Noctua sulphurea [Schiffermüller], 1775 Tinea arlequinetta Geoffroy, 1785 Phalaena Noctua trabeata Borkhausen, 1790 Bombyx lugubris Fabricius, 1793 Erastria pardalina Walker, 1865

The Emmelia trabealis, sometimes known as the Spotted Sulphur, is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae.^[1][2]

Taxonomy

The species is sometimes placed in the genus Acontia and Emmelia is considered as a subgenus of Acontia.

Distribution

Spotted Sulphur can be found in most of Europe, in North Africa, the Middle East and Russia to northern China and Japan.^[3][4] It was formerly resident in Great Britain, but has not been seen at any known breeding colonies since 25 June 1960 and is presumed extinct there.^[5]

Habitat

This species prefers sandy soil, dry and warm areas, meadows and sunny slopes on which the bindweed occurs.

Description

The wingspan of Emmelia trabealis can reach 18–24 mm. The forewings show a very variable black drawings on a yellowish or dirty white background. The rear wings are reddish brown in color.^[5]

Eggs are green, elongated and cone-shaped, with a flattened base and distinct longitudinal ribs. Caterpillars are reddish to greenish brown, with dark dorsal lines and a yellow side band, the head is relatively small and brown. Cocoons are red-brown or green.^[5]

Biology

This species presents two overlapping generations a year, the second generation is generally missing in cool years. The moth flies from May to August depending on the location and then again from August to early September. The pupa overwinters. The larvae feed on field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) ^[5][6] and Polygonum species.^[3]

Gallery

• 
  Museum specimen. ♂ - Dorsal side
• 
  ♂ - Ventral side

Bibliography

• Arno Bergmann: Die Großschmetterlinge Mitteldeutschlands. Band 4/2, Eulen. Urania-Verlag, Jena 1954.
• Borkhausen, 1790, Naturgeschichte der Europäischen Schmetterlinge nach systematrischer Ordnung 3. Der Phalaenen erste Horden, die Spinner: pl. 10, fig. 8. TL: Europe.
• Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775, Ankündung eines systematischen Werkes von den Schmetterlingen der Wienergegend: 93. Unjustified emendation of Phalaena trabealis Scopoli, 1763.
• Fabricius, 1793, Entomologia Systematica, Emendata et Aucta 3 (1): 467. TL: Europe.
• Günter Ebert (Hrsg.): Die Schmetterlinge Baden-Württembergs. Band 5, Nachtfalter III (Sesiidae, Arctiidae, Noctuidae). Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart 1997. ISBN 3-800-13481-0.
• Manfred Koch: Wir bestimmen Schmetterlinge: III Eulen Deutschlands. Neumann Verlag, Radebeul & Berlin 1958.
• Scopoli, 1763, Entomologica Carniolica Exhibens Insecta Carnioliae Indigena et Distributa in Ordines, Genera, Species, Varietas Methodo Linnaeana : 240
• Walker, 1865, List. Spec. Lep. Ins. Colln. Br. Mus. 33: 794. TL: Mauritius. HT: BMNH. male.

Walter Forster & Theodor A. Wohlfahrt: Die Schmetterlinge Mitteleuropas. Bd. IV, Eulen (Noctuidae). Franckh’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart 1971, ISBN 3-440-03752-5.

References

1. NCBI
2. Biolib
3. Naturhundliches Informations System
4. Fauna europaea
5. Waring, Paul, Martin Townsend and Richard Lewington (2003) Field Guide to the Moths of Great britain and Ireland. British Wildlife Publishing, Hook, UK (page 378).
6. Funet

External links

• Spotted Sulphur at UKmoths
• Lepiforum
• Schmetterling-raupe
• Paolo Mazzei, Daniel Morel, Raniero Panfili Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa