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Mesoligia furuncula

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Mesoligia furuncula
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Mesoligia
Species:
M. furuncula
Binomial name
Mesoligia furuncula

Mesoligia furuncula, the cloaked minor, is a moth of the family Noctuoidea. It is found in the Palearctic realm (Europe, northwest Africa, Russia, Siberia, Japan, north Iran, Afghanistan, and China (Qinghai and Shaanxi).

Description

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The wingspan is 22–28 mm. The length of the forewings is 10–12 mm. The typical form has the forewing sharply demarcated between a pale distal field and a rufous basal field. The colour and pattern is highly variable and furuncula may look like a lot of the species in the genus Oligia which can be separated by from all but Mesoligia literosa by details of the genitalia. A study of the genitalia of European and Asian specimens of the two Mesoligia species literosa Haworth and furuncula Denis & Schiffermüller showed however that there is no significant intra-specific variation, in these two closely related Oligia species.[1]

Habitat
Fig.4, 4a larva after last moult

Biology

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The moth flies in one generation from late June to mid September [2].

The larvae feed on various grasses such as Tufted Hair-grass, Festuca ovina, and Arrhenatherum elatius.[2]

Notes

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  1. ^ The flight season refers to Belgium and The Netherlands. This may vary in other parts of the range.

References

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  1. ^ von L. Rezbanyai-Reser Genitalmorphologische Befunde mittaxonomischen Bemerkungen bei Mesoligia literosa Haw. und furuncula D. & Sch. in Europa und in Asien, sowie weitere Angaben zu den asiatischen Oligia-Arten (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).Entomologische Berichte Luzern 40 (1998): S. 109-142 [1]
  2. ^ "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".
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