Sideridis turbida, the white colon, is a moth of the family Noctuidae, subfamily Hadeninae. It is found throughout continental Europe, the British Isles and southern Scandinavia.[1][2]
| White colon | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Superfamily: | Noctuoidea |
| Family: | Noctuidae |
| Genus: | Sideridis |
| Species: | S. turbida
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| Binomial name | |
| Sideridis turbida (Esper, 1790)
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| Synonyms | |
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Technical description and variation
editThe wingspan is 36–44 mm.[2][3] Forewing drab grey, suffused brown, except along costa and inner margin, and in an oblique pale fascia-form submarginal area;the pale submarginal fascia externally throw's off pale teeth; a long black streak from base below cell: median vein white, with only a small white spot at end of cell and a minute black point above it: veins whitish with black terminal streaks in the intervals:hindwing dark greyish, fuscous. - ab. suffusa Tutt is a melanic brown form common in Britain, occurring, but rarely, in the Alps; — ochracea Tutt is a brownish ochreous form, also rare, apparently, on the continent.[4]
Biology
editThe moth flies from May to July, with a second brood in August–September in southern parts of its range.
Larva reddish brown, with scattered black clots: dorsal and subdorsal lines black and fine; venter paler;thoracic plate black with 3 white lines; head brown. The larvae feed on various plants growing in sandy places, including dandelion and plantain.[3][5][6]
The English vernacular name refers to the only distinctive marking on the moth, a pair of white dots outward of the center of the forewing resembling a colon or joined into a > shape.
References
edit- ^ Markku Savela. "Sideridis turbida". funet.fi. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
- ^ a b Bert Gustafsson (9 February 2011). "Sideridis albicolon". Naturhistoriska riksmuseet. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
- ^ a b Ian Kimber. "2152 White Colon Sideridis albicolon". UKMoths. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
- ^ Seitz, A. Ed., 1914 Die Großschmetterlinge der Erde, Verlag Alfred Kernen, Stuttgart Band 3: Abt. 1, Die Großschmetterlinge des palaearktischen Faunengebietes, Die palaearktischen eulenartigen Nachtfalter, 1914
- ^ Wikisource:The Moths of the British Isles/Chapter 15#240
- ^ "Robinson, G. S., P. R. Ackery, I. J. Kitching, G. W. Beccaloni & L. M. Hernández, 2010. HOSTS - A Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants. Natural History Museum, London".