Page 625 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

MOTH CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Noctuidae
DISTRIBUTION From northern Portugal, central Spain, western France, the
British Isles, and southern Scandinavia across Europe to Asia
Minor, the Caucasus, and western Siberia
HABITAT Woodlands, wooded hedgerows, other open country with large
oak trees, parklands, and mature gardens
HOST PLANTS Mainly oak (Quercus spp.); also recorded on poplar (Populus spp.),
willow (Salix spp.), plum (Prunus spp.), and elm (Ulmus spp.)
NOTE Light bluey-green caterpillar with white hairs and white warts
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated

ADULT WINGSPAN
1 ⁄ –1⅝ in (34–42 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
1½–1⅝ in (38–42 mm)
LITHOPHANE ORNITOPUS
GREY SHOULDER-KNOT 623

(HUFNAGEL, 1766)

The Grey Shoulder-knot caterpillar hatches from a ribbed,
whitish egg laid on a twig or branch; eggs are laid either singly
or in small groups. The larva feeds singly on the leaves of its
host plant, where it also rests, as it develops through all instars
from April to June. The caterpillar then descends the tree and
constructs a tough, silk cocoon in the ground and lies dormant
within it for several weeks before forming a pupa. The adults
emerge from September and are active until November,
overwintering and mating in the spring. There is just one
generation a year.

The larvae of a large number of noctuid moth species feed on
oak and other trees in the spring, and are also often colored green
or blue green, with white patterning and lines. However, unlike
the Grey Shoulder-knot caterpillar, most have a prominent The Grey Shoulder-knot caterpillar is quite stout
and cylindrical, with a large head, and is light
white stripe along the sides or along the center of the back, bluey green in color. When small, it is relatively
or along both, and have short, inconspicuous hairs. The absence plain, but it later develops a ne covering of
small, white spots and irregular markings. It has
of that stripe and the presence of longer, whitish hairs in the three ne, slightly irregular, broken, white lines
Lithophane ornitopus caterpillar make it distinctive. along the back and scattered, raised, white warts
that give rise to fairly short, ne, white hairs.

Actual size