Gynaephora selenitica is a moth in the family Erebidae first described by Eugenius Johann Christoph Esper in 1789.[1] It is found from central Europe through eastern Europe to the Urals and Ob' River in West Siberia. It is not found in western and southern Europe and Scandinavia.[2]

Gynaephora selenitica
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Erebidae
Genus: Gynaephora
Species:
G. selenitica
Binomial name
Gynaephora selenitica
(Esper, 1789)
Synonyms
  • Phalaena selenitica Esper, 1789
  • Bombyx paradoxa Fabricius, 1787
  • Bombyx lathyri Hübner, [1803]

The wingspan is 20–25 mm for males and 30–35 mm for females. Adults are on wing from May to June.

The larvae are polyphagous and feed mainly on Fabaceae species (including Lotus, Coronilla, Hippocrepis and Onobrychis), as well as various shrubs (Prunus spinosa, Salix, Vaccinium, Calluna and Rosa) and other plants (Asteraceae, Rosaceae including Potentilla). Larvae can be found from July to April. The species overwinters in the larval stage.[3]

References

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  1. ^ Savela, Markku (July 2, 2019). "Gynaephora selenitica (Esper, 1789)". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  2. ^ "Gynaephora selenitica (Esper, 1789)". Fauna Europaea. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  3. ^ Schmetterlinge und ihre Ökologie (in German)
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