Nola aerugula
Encyclopedia
The Scarce Black Arches (Nola aerugula) is a moth
of the Nolidae
family. It is found in most of Europe
, east to eastern Asia
and Japan
. It is a rare migrant to Great Britain
.
The wingspan
is 15-20 mm. Adults are on wing from June to August in one generation.
The larvae mainly feed on Trifolium and Lotus corniculatus
, but also Betula, Salix and Populus species. The larvae of ssp. holsatica feed on Genista anglica
and Genista pilosa
. Larvae can be found from August to June. They overwinter. Pupation takes place in a cocoon which can be found on the ground or attached to the host plant just above the ground.
Many authors consider holsatica to be a full species.
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...
of the Nolidae
Nolidae
Nolidae is a family of moths with about 1,400 described species worldwide. They are mostly small with dull colouration, the main distinguishing feature being tufts of raised scales on the forewings...
family. It is found in most of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, east to eastern Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It is a rare migrant to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 15-20 mm. Adults are on wing from June to August in one generation.
The larvae mainly feed on Trifolium and Lotus corniculatus
Lotus corniculatus
Lotus corniculatus is a common flowering plant native to grassland temperate Eurasia and North Africa. The common name is Bird's-foot Trefoil , though the common name is often also applied to other members of the genus...
, but also Betula, Salix and Populus species. The larvae of ssp. holsatica feed on Genista anglica
Genista anglica
Genista anglica is a shrubby flowering plant of the family Fabaceae....
and Genista pilosa
Genista pilosa
Genista pilosa, commonly known as Hairy Greenweed, is a plant species in the genus Genista....
. Larvae can be found from August to June. They overwinter. Pupation takes place in a cocoon which can be found on the ground or attached to the host plant just above the ground.
Subspecies
- Nola aerugula aerugula
- Nola aerugula holsatica Sauber, 1916 (Denmark, the Netherlands)
Many authors consider holsatica to be a full species.