Heliothis nubigera, the eastern bordered straw, is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in arid areas in the Palearctic realm.

Heliothis nubigera
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Heliothis
Species:
H. nubigera
Binomial name
Heliothis nubigera
Synonyms
  • Chloridea nubigera Rothschild, 1915

Technical description and variation

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The wingspan is 35–40 mm. Forewing greyish ochreous; reniform stigma dark grey, attached to the grey costal median spot; orbicular annular with grey centre; outer line lunulate dentate, the teeth whitish, separated by a brown shade from the subterminal line; hindwing pearly white with broad blackish outer border, containing a double whitish blotch between veins 2 and 4; veins and cell spot dark; fringe white.[1]

Biology

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Adults are on wing year round and there are probably two generations.

Larva red-brown, dorsal line darker, subdorsal band alternately black and white; a diffused brown sublateral band. The larvae are polyphagous on various wild herbaceous plants. Recorded food plants include Zygophyllum, globe thistles (Echinops species), honeysuckle (Lonicera species), Mediterranean saltbush (Atriplex halimus), Retama raetam, Suaeda asphaltica and bushy bean-caper (Zygophyllum dumosum).[2]

Distribution

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It is found in all the Levant countries.

 
Garrigue (Phrygana) habitat, Rhodes

References

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  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, G. S., P. R. Ackery, I. J. Kitching, G. W. Beccaloni & L. M. Hernández, 2010. HOSTS - A Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants. Natural History Museum, London".
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