Calophasia platyptera

• Subfamily: Oncocnemidinae
• Wingspan: 24-32 mm
• Flight period: Apr - Sep
• Spread: Common
• Host plants: Linaria, Antirrhinum

Information

Calophasia platyptera also called Antirrhinum Brocade is a moth of the Noctuidae family, Oncocnemidinae subfamily with wingspan of 24-32 mm.
In Europe it is absent from the north central region and from Ireland *
Its range extends to Asia Minor and Armenia.
In Italy it is also present in the islands. *

The front wings of Calophasia platyptera are generally ash-colored and show a not very distinct blue-gray stripe, brown-gray or dark gray. The hind wings are uniform, and slightly darker towards the outer edge with the darker veins easily visible.
Characteristic are tufts of hair on the head and chest. The spiritromba is well developed.

The hind wings are whitish with brown shades near the edge and along the venatures with white fringes
Head and thorax are in the color of the front wings while the abdomen is lighter similar to the hind wings. Characteristic are tufts of hair on the head and chest. The spiritromba is well developed. **

The Calophasia platyptera being a xerophilous species frequents habitats with little humidity, such as sunny paths, moorlands, stony ground but can also be found in gardens and parks. ***
It normally has two generations but in the warmer southern regions it can have a third, with flickers from April to June in the first generation and between July and August in the second. The eventual third generation develops between August and September. ***
She visits different flowers during the day, also flies at night, and is attracted to artificial light sources. The species hibernates as a pupa.

Caterpillars have a gray-white background color with yellow and black longitudinal segments, and lateral black dots. **
The pupa is yellow-brown in color and is found inside a silky cocoon covered with plant residues.

The larvae feed on the flowers and leaves of Antirrhinum and Linaria.


* Lepidoptera mundi https://lepidoptera.eu/ - Fauna Europea https://fauna-eu.org/
** Bestimmungshilfe für die in Europa nachgewiesenen Schmetterlingsarten - http://lepiforum.de/
*** Roland Robineau, Guide de papillons nocturne de France, Delachaux et Niestlé, 2011 p. 115