Sandhill Rustic
Encyclopedia
The Sandhill Rustic Luperina nickerlii is a noctuid moth
found in various parts of western and central Europe with several subspecies
.
, it flies in one generation between late July and late September and is represented by three subspecies
:
, the shingle beach which separates Loe Pool from the sea. Two pupae, found in the sand, by Barry Goater and Michael Leech in September, 1974 was the first sign of this previously unknown subspecies. The female moth is reluctant to fly and rarely appears at light; behaviour that has presumably evolved as an adaptation to it's windswept habitat. With only one known population ssp. leechi is a Biodiversity Action Plan
species (BAP), is listed in the Red Data Book (RDB1) and a species account is given in the Cornish RDB.
The larvae
feed on the stem and roots of Sand Couch, Elytrigia juncea, from September to the following July.
, Sandhill Rustic is represented by the subspecies knilli, which occurs only in County Kerry
.
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...
found in various parts of western and central Europe with several subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
.
The Sandhill Rustic in Britain
In BritainGreat 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...
, it flies in one generation between late July and late September and is represented by three subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
:
- subspecies demuthi, found on the coasts of KentKentKent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, EssexEssexEssex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
and SuffolkSuffolkSuffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
- subspecies gueneei, found in coastal sandhills in North WalesNorth WalesNorth Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
and LancashireLancashireLancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
Subspecies leechi
Subspecies leechi, is found on Loe Bar, CornwallCornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, the shingle beach which separates Loe Pool from the sea. Two pupae, found in the sand, by Barry Goater and Michael Leech in September, 1974 was the first sign of this previously unknown subspecies. The female moth is reluctant to fly and rarely appears at light; behaviour that has presumably evolved as an adaptation to it's windswept habitat. With only one known population ssp. leechi is a Biodiversity Action Plan
Biodiversity Action Plan
A Biodiversity Action Plan is an internationally recognized program addressing threatened species and habitats and is designed to protect and restore biological systems. The original impetus for these plans derives from the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity...
species (BAP), is listed in the Red Data Book (RDB1) and a species account is given in the Cornish RDB.
The larvae
Larvae
In Roman mythology, lemures were shades or spirits of the restless or malignant dead, and are probably cognate with an extended sense of larvae as disturbing or frightening...
feed on the stem and roots of Sand Couch, Elytrigia juncea, from September to the following July.
The Sandhill Rustic in Ireland
In IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Sandhill Rustic is represented by the subspecies knilli, which occurs only in County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
.