Common footman

Common footman
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Arctiidae
Genus:	Manulea
Species:	M. lurideola
Binomial name
	Manulea lurideola; (Zincken, 1817)
Synonyms
	Lithosia lurideola Zincken, 1817; Lithosia complanula Boisduval, 1834; Bombyx plumbeola Hübner, 1848; Eilema lurideola; Eilema lurideolum;

The common footman (Manulea lurideola) is a moth of the family Arctiidae. It is distributed throughout Europe and east through the Palearctic to Lake Baikal.

This species has a wingspan of 31–38 mm. The forewings are grey with a yellowish-buff streak along the costa. The hindwings are a uniform cream colour. Like other footman, it rests with its wings wrapped around its body (The common name footman comes from a supposed resemblance to the uniform of such a servant).

Technical description and variation

Wingspan 31–38 mm. Forewing broadened towards the outer margin, bright glossy lead-grey with broad, regular, light yellow costal band, somewhat dulled at the apex, and pure yellow fringes; hindwing, head and neck and anal tuft of male ivory yellow. Beneath,the forewing is only suffused with sooty grey at the base and on the disc, so that a broad outer border is pale yellow. Hindwing pale yellow with a slightly dark costal margin.^[1]

Biology

This moth flies at night in July and August and is attracted to light and nectar-rich flowers.^[1]

Larva dark lilac-grey with black dorsal line and black head, bearing black and yellow hairs; subdorsal lines black, stigma-line orange. It usually feeds on various lichens including Parmelia, although it has also been recorded feeding on buckthorn and oak. The species overwinters as a larva, hibernating, until the end of May. Pupa reddish brown and glossy. According to Schmidt the larvae prefer the trunks of beeches and oaks, but (Seitz) " I often beat the moths out of the lower branches of high, solitary larches in the Alpine valleys; locally very common, especially in the mountains"

^ The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range.

References

^ Seitz, A. in Seitz, A. Ed. Die Großschmetterlinge der Erde, Verlag Alfred Kernen, Stuttgart Band 2: Abt. 1, Die Großschmetterlinge des palaearktischen Faunengebietes, Die palaearktischen Spinner und Schwärmer, 1912- 1913

Chinery, Michael Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe 1986 (Reprinted 1991)
Dubatolov, Vladimir Lichen-moths (Arctiidae, Lithosiinae) of Russia and adjacent countries. [2]
Skinner, Bernard Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles 1984

External links

[1] Seitz, A. in Seitz, A. Ed. Die Großschmetterlinge der Erde, Verlag Alfred Kernen, Stuttgart Band 2: Abt. 1, Die Großschmetterlinge des palaearktischen Faunengebietes, Die palaearktischen Spinner und Schwärmer, 1912- 1913

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