Page 606 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

MOTH CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Noctuidae
DISTRIBUTION Europe and across central Asia, through Siberia to Korea; also
eastern and western parts of North America, where introduced
HABITAT Shingle banks, waste ground, and verges

HOST PLANTS Common Toad ax (Linaria vulgaris) and Dalmatian Toad ax
(Linaria dalmatica)
NOTE Colorful caterpillar that is sometimes used as a biological weedkiller
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated, but locally rare

ADULT WINGSPAN
1–1¼ in (25–32 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
1 ⁄ in (40 mm)
CALOPHASIA LUNULA
TOADFLAX BROCADE
604
[HUFNAGEL, 1766]

Toad ax Brocade caterpillars hatch from up to 80 eggs laid by the
female moth on the food plant. The larvae have a huge appetite

and grow quickly, rst eating all the young leaves and ower

buds, and then stems and older leaves. There are usually two
generations a year and they may overlap in summer, the moths
ying in May to August, and July and August. The reddish-

brown pupae of the second generation overwinter, either in the
soil, or on or within the lower stems of the host plant.

The distribution of this species is limited by the occurrence of its

food plant. It feeds mostly on Common Toad ax but has been
seen on naturalized varieties and closely related species. In some
parts of the world where its host plant is considered a noxious
weed, the moth has been used for biological control, for example
in parts of southern Europe, and also in North America, where
the species was introduced during the 1960s.

The Toad ax Brocade caterpillar is yellow
and black with irregular markings. Laterally,
it is gray white with yellow, black, and gray lines,
and black and white spots. The body is covered
in short hairs.

Actual size