Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods) ➔ Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods) ➔ Class Insecta (Insects) ➔ Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and moths) ➔ Family Noctuidae (Owlet moths)
Noctua pronuba (Linnaeus, 1758)
Hausmutter Large Yellow Underwing
Synonyms and other combinations:
Phalaena pronuba Linnaeus, 1758 [original combination] | Noctua connuba Hübner, [1822] | Triphaena innuba Treitschke, 1825 |
Classification:
Noctua pronuba belongs to the subfamily Noctuinae, tribe Noctuini.Distribution:
Europe, Canary Islands, North Africa, in parts of Asia; introduced to North America.Habitat:
Noctua pronuba lives in a variety of different habitats such as meadows, forests, cropland, parks and gardens. The moths are often found in settlements.Description:
With a wingspan of 45 - 60 mm, Noctua pronuba is the largest of several similar species with yellow hindwings with a black bandage near the rear edge. The forewings of the Large Yellow Underwing are very variable from light to dark brown colored and more or less rich in contrast patterned. In addition to a mostly light ring mark and a dark kidney-shaped mark in the middle, there is a black spot on the outer edge of the forewings in front of the wing tip.The adult brown or green caterpillars with 2 rows of elongated black spots become up to 5.5 cm long.
Biology:
The Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba is a common, in Central Europe univoltine species.The moths fly from May to October. They are mainly nocturnal and attracted to light sources. The females lay their eggs in groups on blades of grass, leaves and other suitable places.
The caterpillars are polyphagous and feed on a variety of different plant species. The caterpillars overwinter. They pupate in an earth cocoon.
Note:
I found the caterpillar shown here in the city on a footpath on 3 April. I offered it a variety of plants, but it didn't want to eat and only changed its position from time to time. During food exchange on 10 April it became apparent that in the meantime almost 40 small parasitoids had left the caterpillar and had built 3 mm long cocoons under a blackberry leaf on the kitchen paper used as a base. The caterpillar was still alive, but was very emaciated and wrinkled and had small exit holes caused by the parasitoids. It died a few days later. On 21 and 22 April the parasitoids shown here hatched. They are belonging to the Microgastrinae, a subfamily of Braconidae.References, further reading, links:
- Bestimmungshilfe des Lepiforums
- Paul Sterry, Andrew Mackay: Naturführer Schmetterlinge, Verlag Dorling Kindersley, 2005, 224 Seiten, ISBN 3831006709, 9783831006700.
- Michael Chinery: Pareys Buch der Insekten: über 2000 Insekten Europas, Verlag Kosmos, 2004, 326 Seiten, ISBN 3440099695, 9783440099698.
- 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