| White-point (Mythimna albipuncta (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)) |
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Scientific name: Mythimna albipuncta (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) Common name: White-point French name: Point blanc Order: Lepidoptera Suborder: Heterocera Family: Noctuidae Subfamily: Noctuinae Wingspan: 30-35 mm. Biotope: Meadows, road sides, unimproved grasslands and other places with graminae. Geographic area: Southern and Central Europe, Asia Minor and Turkmenistan, North Africa. This is a migratory moth which can fly as far north as southern Sweden and southern Finland. Flight time: April to November. Number of generations : 2 Caterpillar: Pale yellowish brown with one thin pale dorsal line finely outlined with dark and one dark subdorsal stripe on each side, underlined with a thin pale line. Host plant: Various graminae. |
Mythimna albipuncta shows almost uniform reddish brown fore wings with a well marked small white discal spot located on slightly darker longitudinal marking. The submarginal area sometimes bears a darker triangular patch. The hind wings are greyish with dark veins and a pale fringe. There is a possible confusion with some similar species. The White-speck (Mythimna unipuncta) sometimes shows a black marking inside the white discal spot, which appears not so sharp, but you can recognize this species with the dark oblique streak starting at the apex of the fore wings. The Clay (Mythimna ferrago) has a larger white spot which extends as a bean-shape towards the costal edge. The fore wings also show a post-discal row of small black dots. Mythimna albipuncta may also show a post-discal row of small black markings but these are rather short segments than dots. The Brown-line Bright-eye (Mythimna conigera) has a more elongated white spot and the dark lines crossing the fore wings are well visible. Mythimna albipuncta over winters as a caterpillar. |
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I have read that Mythimna albipuncta's white discal spot is rounded. It rather appears as triangle-shaped on this specimen. |
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I have not been able to get a correct depth of field because of the lack of light. |
André Bon September 2018