| Pine beauty | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Superfamily: | Noctuoidea |
| Family: | Noctuidae |
| Genus: | Panolis |
| Species: | P. flammea |
| Binomial name | |
| Panolis flammea (Denis &Schiffermüller, 1775) | |
Thepine beauty (Panolis flammea) is amoth of the familyNoctuidae.[1][2] It is a common species ofpine woods in Europe. The distribution area extends fromPortugal to westernSiberia, theCaucasus andAsia Minor. In the north it extends to the Arctic Circle, in the south it is found inCeuta in Northern Africa[3] in and southern Italy (includingSicily andSardinia).
The forewings are typically rich orange brown, but sometimes are dark grey, with two large palestigmata and fine streaks along thetermen. The hindwings are brown or blackish.
Thewingspan is 32–40 mm. Forewing orange rufous with some ochreous admixture; the veins dotted grey and white; the inner and outer lines deeper rufous, conversely edged with white, and dentate lunulate; submarginal line pale, preceded by a dentate rufous shade; the terminal area often paler; stigmata large, irregular; the claviform with some pale and brown scales at its extremity; orbicular and reniform pale rufous with deeper centres, the orbicular flattened, its lower edge often produced along median vein as a streak and connected with reniform, which is large with the upper end angularly produced outwards; fringe mottled rufous and white hindwing fuscous, often with a reddish tinge; the ab.griseovariegata Goeze has the rufous tints obscured by glaucous grey and fuscous.[4]
This moth flies at night from March to May[1] and is attracted to light andsallow blossom.
Larva bright green with the lines broadly white edged with deep green; spiracular line edged below with yellow. It feeds on the needles ofPinus sylvestris and other pines, but sometimes on other trees (see list below), and can be a seriouspest in forests. The speciesoverwinters as apupa.
See Robinson, G. S. et al.[6]
