Manulea complana

Manulea complana, the scarce footman, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. It is found throughout the Palearctic region.

Larva

Scarce footman
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Erebidae
Subfamily: Arctiinae
Genus: Manulea
Species:
M. complana
Binomial name
Manulea complana
Synonyms
  • Phalaena complana Linnaeus, 1758
  • ochrocephala Geoffroy, 1785
  • Lithosia complanata Costa, 1833
  • Lithosia sericea Gregson, 1860
  • Lithosia molybdeola Guenée, 1861
  • Crambidia allegheniensis Holland, 1903
  • Lithosia complana balcanica Daniel, 1939
  • Lithosia complana f. postgrisescens Lempke, 1961
  • Lithosia complana f. pallida van Wisselingh, 1961
  • Lithosia complana f. flava Lempke, 1964
  • Eilema angustiala Bryk, [1949] 1948

Technical description and variation
For a key to the terms used, see Glossary of entomology terms.

The wingspan is 28–35 mm. It is very like Eilema morosinum (Herrich-Schäffer, [1847]) but the forewing not so elongate, and the angles not so accentuated, the costal streak broader and brighter yellow, the hindwing duller, not so transparent; the apex of the abdomen brighter yellow. On the underside the disc is very blackish iron grey, and contrasts vividly with the orange-yellow costa and the broad pale yellow marginal area. Hindwing beneath pale yellow, the costa deeper yellow; below costa a grey streak from the base.[2]

Biology

The moth flies from June to August depending on the location.

Larva blackish dorsally, with narrow lighter lines; subdorsal lines composed of small reddish yellow and white spots; lateral line interrupted, reddish yellow. The larvae feed on lichen and mosses, but also leaves of low growing plants on occasion.

References
  1. Dubatolov, V. V. & Zolotuhin, V. V. (2011). "Does Eilema Hübner, [1819] (Lepidoptera, Arctiidae, Lithosiinae) present one or several genera?" (PDF). Euroasian Entomological Journal. 10 (3): 367–379, 380, VII.
  2. Seitz, E. 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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