Rustic Shoulder-knot
Encyclopedia
The Rustic Shoulder-knot (Apamea sordens) is a moth
of the family Noctuidae
. It is distributed throughout Europe
and is also found in North America
.
Formerly Apamea finitima was considered a separate species and has also been classifies as a subspecies of Apamea basilinea, which is now also a synonym of Apamea sordens.
This species has a wingspan
of 36–42 mm. The forewings are brown with mostly indistinct markings except for a narrow but distinctive black mark at the very base of the wing which gives the species its common name. The hindwings are greyish brown, darker towards the margin, with prominently dark venation. This moth flies at night in May and June and is attracted to light and sugar.
The larva
feeds on various grass
es, including cereal
s (see list below). This species overwinters as a larva, feeding in mild weather throughout the season.
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 family Noctuidae
Noctuidae
The Noctuidae or owlet moths are a family of robustly-built moths that includes more than 35,000 known species out of possibly 100,000 total, in more than 4,200 genera. They constitute the largest family in the Lepidoptera....
. It is distributed throughout 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...
and is also found in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Formerly Apamea finitima was considered a separate species and has also been classifies as a subspecies of Apamea basilinea, which is now also a synonym of Apamea sordens.
This species has a 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...
of 36–42 mm. The forewings are brown with mostly indistinct markings except for a narrow but distinctive black mark at the very base of the wing which gives the species its common name. The hindwings are greyish brown, darker towards the margin, with prominently dark venation. This moth flies at night in May and June and is attracted to light and sugar.
The 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...
feeds on various 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, including cereal
Cereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
s (see list below). This species overwinters as a larva, feeding in mild weather throughout the season.
- 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.
Subspecies
- Apamea sordens finitima
- Apamea sordens cerivana (Alberta)
- Apamea sordens sableana Mikkola, 2009
Recorded food plants
- AvenaAvenaThe oats are a genus of 10-15 species of true grasses . They are native to Europe, Asia and northwest Africa. One species is widely cultivated elsewhere, and several have become naturalized in many parts of the world...
- Oat - DactylisDactylisDactylis is a genus of grasses in the subfamily Pooideae, native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. They are known in English as cock's-foot or cocksfoot grasses, also sometimes as orchard grasses.-Taxonomy:...
- Festuca
- HordeumHordeumHordeum is a genus of about 30 species of annual and perennial grasses, native throughout the temperate Northern Hemisphere, temperate South America, and also South Africa....
- Barley - LeymusLeymusLeymus is a genus of the true grass family . The common name for this genus is "wild rye"; however, members of the genus Elymus are also sometimes given the same common name...
- PhalarisPhalarisPhalaris was the tyrant of Acragas in Sicily, from approximately 570 to 554 BC.-History:He was entrusted with the building of the temple of Zeus Atabyrius in the citadel, and took advantage of his position to make himself despot. Under his rule Agrigentum seems to have attained considerable...
- PhleumPhleumPhleum is a genus of about 15 species of annual and perennial grasses. The genus is native to Europe, Asia and north Africa, with one species Phleum (catstail or timothy-grass) is a genus of about 15 species of annual and perennial grasses. The genus is native to Europe, Asia and north Africa,...
- Secale - RyeRyeRye is a grass grown extensively as a grain and as a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe and is closely related to barley and wheat. Rye grain is used for flour, rye bread, rye beer, some whiskeys, some vodkas, and animal fodder...
- Triticum - WheatWheatWheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
- ZeaZeaZea may refer to:*Zea , a genus of large grasses**Zea mays, commonly known as maize or corn**Zea, a Canadian short film about popcorn*Helicoverpa zea, a major agricultural pest*Zea , a 1993 alternative EP from dEUS....
- Maize - Zizania