Map-winged Swift
Encyclopedia
The Map-winged Swift is a moth
belonging to the family Hepialidae
. It has a patchy distribution throughout Eurasia
. It was previously placed in the genus Hepialus and some references still place it there.
This moth gets its common name from the variegated pattern of the forewing, in various shades of black, brown and white, which look rather like a map (although there are plainer forms). Unlike most hepialids, the pattern is rather similar in both sexes although the female is usually rather larger with a wingspan of up to 50 mm.
The adult flies from May to July (August in the north of the range) and is attracted to light, sometimes strongly so. This species overwinters twice as a larva
.
This moth is strongly associated with bracken
(Pteridium spp) and it is most frequently encountered in habitats where this plant occurs (e.g. moorland
, heathland, open woodland
). However the larva, which is a root
-feeder, has been recorded on other fern
s such as Polystichum
, grass
es such as red fescue and also on potato
es and probably will feed on a wide range of other plants.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
belonging to the family Hepialidae
Hepialidae
The Hepialidae is 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:...
. It has a patchy distribution throughout Eurasia
Eurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
. It was previously placed in the genus Hepialus and some references still place it there.
This moth gets its common name from the variegated pattern of the forewing, in various shades of black, brown and white, which look rather like a map (although there are plainer forms). Unlike most hepialids, the pattern is rather similar in both sexes although the female is usually rather larger with a wingspan of up to 50 mm.
The adult flies from May to July (August in the north of the range) and is attracted to light, sometimes strongly so. This species overwinters twice as a larva
Larva
A larva 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...
.
This moth is strongly associated with bracken
Bracken
Bracken are several species of large, coarse ferns of the genus Pteridium. Ferns are vascular plants that have alternating generations, large plants that produce spores and small plants that produce sex cells . Brackens are in the family Dennstaedtiaceae, which are noted for their large, highly...
(Pteridium spp) and it is most frequently encountered in habitats where this plant occurs (e.g. moorland
Moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat, in the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, found in upland areas, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils and heavy fog...
, heathland, open woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
). However the larva, which is a root
Root
In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial or aerating . Furthermore, a stem normally occurring below ground is not exceptional either...
-feeder, has been recorded on other fern
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s such as Polystichum
Polystichum
Polystichum is a genus of about 260 species of ferns with a cosmopolitan distribution. The highest diversity is in eastern Asia, with about 120 species in China alone; the region from Mexico to Brazil has nearly 100 additional species; Africa , North America , and Europe have much lower diversity...
, grass
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
es such as red fescue and also on potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
es and probably will feed on a wide range of other plants.
- The flight season refers to the British IslesBritish IslesThe British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
. This may vary in other parts of the range.
External links
- Map-winged Swift at UKMoths
- http://internt.nhm.ac.uk/jdsml/research-curation/projects/hostplants/list.dsml?searchPageURL=index.dsml&Familyqtype=starts+with&Family=&PFamilyqtype=starts+with&PFamily=&Genusqtype=starts+with&Genus=pharmacis&PGenusqtype=starts+with&PGenus=&Speciesqtype=starts+with&Species=fusconebulosa&PSpeciesqtype=starts+with&PSpecies=&Country=&sort=FamilyPharmacis fusconebulosa at HOSTS (Caterpillar Hostplants Database)]