| Blossom Underwing (Orthosia miniosa (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)) |
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Scientific name: Orthosia miniosa (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) Common name: Blossom Underwing French name: Orthosie rougeoyante, Téniocampe peinte Order: Lepidoptera Suborder: Heterocera Family: Noctuidae Subfamily: Hadeninae Wingspan: 31-36 mm. Biotope: Forests, parks and gardens with trees. Geographic area: All regions of Europe where Oaks grow, from Spain to Scandinavia, and also in some regions of western Asia and North Africa. Flight time: March to May. Number of generations : 1 Caterpillar: Grey to dark grey-blue, with a broad yellow dorsal line and a thinner yellow subdorsal line on each side. The lateral sides show black spots. There is a broad pale yellow stripe running over the spiracles. It is bordered with white and marked with tiny black dots. Host plant: Caterpillars grow in group in a silken web on various deciduous trees but mainly on Oaks (Quercus ssp). Then they solitary move down to low growing plants. |
The Blossom Underwing shows sandy rufous fore wings, powdered with black and with a deeper rufous median area. This median area is delimited by pale-outlined brown lines. The line closer to the apex of the wing is clearly toothed and draws lunules. The orbicular and reniform spots are dark grey and circled with a paler colour. The submarginal line is rufous and pale yellow. It often appears as interrupted. The margin is marked with small dark brown spots. The hind wings are white with the veins and the margin marked with dark. They show a black discal spot. The Blossom Underwing over winters as a chrysalis. |
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I have observed this caterpillar on a low growing plant in the forest. |
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The pale yellow stripe running over the spiracles is better visible on this picture. |
André Bon November 2015