Marbled green

The marbled green (Cryphia muralis) is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Johann Reinhold Forster in 1771. It is found in Europe. Its wings are white with several shades of green. However, the green fades.

Larva

Marbled green
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Cryphia
Species:
C. muralis
Binomial name
Cryphia muralis
(Forster, 1771)
Synonyms
  • Nyctobrya muralis (Forster, 1771)

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

The wingspan is 27–34 mm. The length of the forewings is 12–15 mm. Forewing smooth, unspeckled green, the markings black and prominent: the claviform (club-shaped) and orbicular (round) stigmata coalescing to form a blotch; ab. par Hbn. is grey green, with darker green dusting; the black markings obsolete. — ab. impar Warr. is green dusted with black or rufous; the lines more or less obsolete: the green colour fades more quickly than in typical muralis; this form occurs only at Cambridge, where the type form is nonexistent. Four further aberrations have been differentiated; ab. viridis Tutt, rich green, without black or grey dusting; ab. flavescens Tutt, like the type, but with the green changed to yellow, even in bred specimens; ab. pallida Tutt, with typical markings on a whitish-grey ground colour; and ab. obscura Tutt, dull brownish grey, with the markings obscured and without any trace of green; all these forms are found on the coast of Kent and at Queenstown in Ireland.[1]

Biology

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

Larva dark grey with a greenish tinge: dorsal line broadly white, sometimes interrupted; a pale line above feet. greenish tinge: dorsal line broadly white, sometimes interrupted; a pale line above feet. The larvae feed on various lichen.[2]

References
  1. Seitz, A. Ed., 1914 Die Großschmetterlinge der Erde, Verlag Alfred Kernen, Stuttgart Band 3: Abt. 1, Die Großschmetterlinge des palaearktischen Faunengebietes, Die palaearktischen eulenartigen Nachtfalter, 1914
  2. Robinson, Gaden S.; Ackery, Phillip R.; Kitching, Ian J.; Beccaloni, George W. & Hernández, Luis M. (2010). "Search the database - introduction and help". HOSTS - A Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants. Natural History Museum, London.
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