| Old Lady (Mormo maura (Linnaeus, 1758 )) |
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Scientific name: Mormo maura (Linnaeus, 1758 ) Common name: Old Lady French name: Maure Order: Lepidoptera Suborder: Heterocera Family: Noctuidae Subfamily: Ipimorphinae Wingspan: 55-65 mm. Biotope: Fallow lands and gardens, especially at damp locations. Geographic area: Western Europe from the Netherlands to the Mediterranean. Flight time: July to August. Number of generations : 1 Caterpillar: Plump, it is a colourless brown colour with white blotches and orange marks. It feeds on low growing plants, it overwinters, and then feeds on shrubs and trees. It pupates in the ground early June. Host plant: Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata), Sorrels (Rumex spp), Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), Birch (Betula spp) and Willow (Salix spp). |
The Old Lady got its scientific name because of its dark colour. The forewings are chocolate brown with pale greyish lines. The median area is large and darker than the background colour. There is a paler brown patch near the apex. The hindwings are dark chocolate brown with a pale median line. The fringe is pale. It flies at twilight and is attracted to sugar. The Old Lady overwinters as a caterpillar. |
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I have found this Old Lady landed on the entrance door of my house ("exit door" would be the right words as I think it wanted to go back outside). |
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I only observe the Old Lady inside the house. I do not think that it is attracted to light as I always find it in very dark areas. |
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I have found this caterpillar hidden inside the garden gate lock where it could have been crushed by the bolt. I moved it to another place but not without taking a few pictures before. |
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It's not worth trying to identify the host plant. I personally put this caterpillar on this stem to shoot a close-up picture. |
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My observations of Old Lady caterpillars are never done on plants. Do they feed only during the night? |
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Still no idea of the host plant for this new observation ... |
André Bon January 2022