Butterflies and moths in the Lasiocampidae, Pyralidae, Scopariinae, Sesiidae, Oecophoridae, and Lycaenidae Families

Lasiocampidae family - the Eggar moths .

There are about 1000 species found worldwide except in New Zealand, and 10 in Britain. The adults are medium to large sized, brown or brown and yellow, and fat. The adult males have feathery antennae which can detect the scent of a female 100s of metres away. All the larvae are hairy, and these hairs protect them from being eaten by most birds, and can cause irritation in humans. The caterpillar hairs are usually incorporated into the cocoon.

On the left is Gastropacha quercifolia, the lappet moth. It is usually found in scrub, hedgerows, open woodland and sometimes in gardens. It is common in southern England and can be found as far north as Yorkshire.

The eggs are white with grey spots and laid in bands, pairs or small batches on twigs or leaves of the foodplant in July or August and hatch in about 2 weeks.

The caterpillar feeds at night on whitethorn, blackthorn, hawthorn, sallow, apples and other fruit trees after hatching. Then it hibernates on stems near the base of the foodplant. In May it starts to feed again, and when fully grown it can be as long as 80 mm. It has hairs which can cause irritation. It is widespread in Europe. The name comes from fleshy "lappets" that hang down around the prolegs. Pupation is in June, in a tough cocoon of brown/grey silk and hairs spun low on the food plant.

Adults emerge in June or July. The wing length is 28 - 42 mm. The females are larger and darker in colour than the males. They are good fliers and can be seen flying during the day. At rest they are well camouflaged as they look like a bunch of dead leaves.

Both sexes have pectinate antennae, though the female is less pectinate than the male, and they do not have a proboscis. They are generally found among hedgerows and woodland edges. The female emits a sexual attractant pheromone that, to us, smells of charcoal or burnt wood.

Pyralidae family

There are 200 British species, and all are small. On the left is Ephestia kuehniella, the flour moth. It is a pest world wide of stored grain and flour products.

The caterpillar is around 10 mm long when fully grown, and lives in silken tubes among the flour. They overwinter in silk cocoons and pupate in spring.

The adult wingspan is 10 mm. Adults locate each other for mating when the male emits ultrasound. The adults live for only a week or two. Between April and October there can be 3 generations. It is thought to have reached the U.K. in the late 19th century.

Crambidae family

The Crambidae family are sometimes called Grass moths as the adults are often found resting on grass stems during the day time.

Eudonia mercurella

On the left is Eudonia mercurella. Wingspan 16 - 19 mm. Adults fly at night from June - September.

The caterpillar feeds on moss. The caterpillar is cream with brown spots, a shiny brown head and first abdominal segment. It is found in woods, heath and grassland.

Family Sesiidae

There are around 1000 species worldwide, and 14 in the British isles. All in this family have transparent or partly transparent wings and resemble wasps, hornets and other Hymenoptera, also the forewings are vary narrow. Wingspan ranges from 30 - 60 mm. Adults are day fliers, mainly in sunny weather. The Hymenopteran mimicry is believed to confer some protection from predators. The larvae tend to feed in tree-trunks, stems and roots; so are rarely seen. For some species the lifecycle can take as long as 3 years. Usually the eggs are laid singly on the foodplant.

On the left is a preserved specimen of Sesia apiformis, the hornet clearwing moth or hornet moth. As the common name suggests, this moth mimics the hornet.

The hornet clearwing larva feeds in poplar and aspen roots and trunks for around 3 years.

The cocoon is made of gnawed wood and silk, and adults emerge in May, June and July.

The adult female tends to be fatter in the body than the male. The adult wingspan is 33 - 48 mm, and wing length is 15 - 20 mm. It is found in Europe and eastern US, but in the UK its range does not spread as far north as Scotland. It moves with jerky, wasp-like movements, and can even buzz like a hornet. Its habitat includes parks, hedgerows, golf courses, quarries and fens.

Oecophoridae family

On the right is the life stages of the Brown House Moth, Hofmannophila pseudospretella. It is common, and the adult has a wingspan of 15 - 26 mm, and at rest males are 8 mm long and the females 12 mm long. The colour can vary from a dark olive brown to buff, but the thorax and front wings always have dark flecks or spots.

Adult behaviour. When disturbed it will often run into a dark crevice rather then fly.

The larva eats wool, feathers, grains, seeds, dried fruit, wine bottle corks, carpets, upholstery and leather. A fully grown larva can be 20 mm long with a shiny white body and a brown head. It pupates in a tough torpedo-shaped cocoon in the material it has been eating.

Eggs are laid in dust and debris.

Lycaenidae family

These are commonly known as the Hairstreaks, Coppers and Blues. The adults are small to medium sized and often metallic-coloured. The beautiful colours are due to the microscopic structures on the scales. Their flight is short, quick and agile. In some species the caterpillars are associated with ants. Many of the caterpillars in this family have a gland on the 7th abdominal segment which can secrete a sweet fluid.

On the left is an adult male Lysandra coridon, chalkhill blue. The female has brown wings with sometimes a trace of blue on the forewings, and is slightly larger. This butterfly is fairly common all over central and southern Europe. In the UK it is found only in south-east England. As its common name suggests it is found on chalk and limestone hills. The adult wingspan is 30 - 36 mm. Adults fly in July and August. In the UK there is one generation a year.

The green eggs are laid in August on Horse-shoe vetch, but do not hatch until the following spring.

The caterpillar feeds on vetches and trefoils, and is carried by ants to a suitable foodplant near the ant's nest. The ants "milk" a gland on the back of the caterpillar which exudes drops of a sweet liquid.

A fully grown caterpillar can be up to 16 mm long, is quite fat, but very tapered at both ends. The body is green with yellow stripes. In the UK the caterpillars feed on horseshoe vetch for about 10 weeks, then pupate on the ground in a greenish-brown cocoon at the base of the foodplant.

Arctiidae family

The Arctiidae family includes the Tigers, Ermines and the Footmen. There are 11,000 species world wide, and 33 British species (29 resident and 4 immigrants). The tigers are usually boldly patterned; the Ermine adults usually have whitish wings with black flecks or spots, similar to the ermine fur. Many adults in the family do not feed. The caterpillars are hairy with shiny, almost hairless heads, and the hair can cause irritation. The caterpillars pupate in flimsy cocoons, usually above ground in a crevice or low vegetation, which incorporate the hair.

Ruby tiger, Phragmatobia fuliginosa

The Ruby tiger is widespread throughout Europe, and is found in most habitats.

The eggs are laid in batches on the foodplant (see below) in May.

The caterpillar (left) grows up to 35 mm long, and is found in open woodland, downland, meadows and moorland. The foodplants include dock, dandelion, goldenrod and yarrow. The caterpillars feed until autumn, then hibernate at the roots of the foodplant when it is fully grown.