Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods) ➔ Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods) ➔ Class Insecta (Insects) ➔ Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and moths) ➔ Family Noctuidae (Owlet moths)
Lacanobia oleracea (Linnaeus, 1758)
Gemüseeule Bright-line Brown-eye
Synonyms and other combinations:
Phalaena oleracea Linnaeus, 1758 [original combination] | Phalaena (Noctua) spinaciae Borkhausen, 1792 | Mamestra variegata Austaut, 1885 | Peucephila essoni Hampson, 1909 | Monima albolineata Matsumura, 1926 |
Further vernacular names:
Tomato MothClassification:
Lacanobia oleracea belongs to the subfamily Hadeninae, tribe Hadenini.Distribution:
Palearctic (Europe, Asia, North Africa).Habitat:
Cultivated land, gardens, vegetable fields, greenhouses, banks of streams and rivers, damp meadows and forests.Description:
The Bright-line Brown-eye Lacanobia oleracea has a wingspan of 34 - 44 mm. The moths are very variable in colour. The red to dark brown forewings show a white submarginal line, which has two sharp teeths on veins 3 and 4 forming a W, an orange-filled kidney-shaped spot and a grey ring spot. The hindwings are slightly paler in colour.The caterpillars are very variable. They have a green or brown basic colouring with a dot pattern and show a yellow side stripe in later stages.
Similar species:
There is a particular risk of confusion with the Dog’s Tooth Lacanobia suasa.Biology:
The Bright-line Brown-eye Lacanobia oleracea usually flies in 2 generations from May to September. The moths are nocturnal and hide during the day.The polyphagous caterpillars of the Bright-line Brown-eye feed on a variety of different plants. They like to eat tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum), lettuce (Lactuca sativa), cabbage (Brassica oleracea) and other vegetable species. The caterpillars skin themselves 5 to 6 times until pupation. The pupation takes place in the soil. Lacanobia oleracea hibernates as a pupa.
Explanation of the pictures:
The eggs shown here were deposited on the underside of an alder leaf above the herb layer at the edge of a moist meadow. Little caterpillars hatched from the eggs on July 16. The caterpillars have accepted alder leaves as food and developed at different speeds. The first one was pupated on August 9th, the last one took 2 weeks longer. Immediately after moulting, the still green pupae quickly become darker and change their colour to a dark reddish brown. On August 25th the first moth hatched. The pictures show the newly hatched moth with short, close-fitting, still soft, uninflated wings. The moth pumps hemolymph into the veins to inflate the wings. After a short time the wings are already clearly longer and only slightly curved inwards. After the wings have fully expanded and hardened, the moth flies away, usually leaving behind a drop of excess hemolymph (being pale beige in the case of the Bright-line Brown-eye).References, further reading, links:
- Acontia sp.
- Agrotis boeticus
- Caradrina sp.
- Cornutiplusia circumflexa
- Cucullia calendulae
- Diachrysia chrysitis/stenochrysis
- Hoplodrina sp.
- Noctua janthe/janthina
- Oligia latruncula/versicolor
- Plusiinae sp.
- Alder Moth
- Angle Shades
- Antler Moth
- Beautiful Golden Y
- Beautiful Hook-tip
- Blossom Underwing
- Bordered Straw
- Brick
- Bright-line Brown-eye
- Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
- Brown-line Bright Eye
- Brown-spot Pinion
- Cabbage Moth
- Chestnut
- Clay
- Clouded Drab
- Common Quaker
- Copper Underwing
- Crescent Dart
- Dark Arches
- Dot Moth
- Dun-bar
- Flame Shoulder
- Four-spotted
- Green-brindled Crescent
- Heart and Dart
- Hebrew Character
- Knot Grass
- Large Yellow Underwing
- Lesser Yellow Underwing
- Marbled Minor
- Marbled White Spot
- Olive
- Orache Moth
- Pale Mottled Willow
- Pale Shoulder
- Pink-barred Sallow
- Poplar Grey
- Pretty Marbled
- Purple Clay
- Satellite
- Scarce Bordered Straw
- Setaceous Hebrew Character
- Silver Barred
- Silver Y
- Slender Brindle
- Slender Burnished Brass
- Small Angle Shades
- Small Quaker
- Small Yellow Underwing
- Smoky Wainscot
- Spotted Clover
- Spotted Sulphur
- Sprawler
- Square-spot Rustic
- Svensson's Copper Underwing
- Sycamore
- The Uncertain
- Treble Lines
- Turnip Moth
- Twin-spotted Quaker
- Water Betony
- White-point
- Yellow-line Quaker