Cryphia (Euthales) cf. ochsi

• Subfamily: Bryophilinae
• Wingspan: 20-24 mm
• Flight period: May - Sep
• Spread: Uncommon
• Host plants: Lichens

Information

The Cryphia ochsi is a moth of the Noctuidae family, subfamily Bryophilinae, with a wingspan of 20-24 mm.
In Europe we find it in Spain, France, Switzerland, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Bulgaria and Romania.
In Italy it is also present in the islands. *
Its range extends to Asia Minor, Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Iran (Elburs) as well as southern Russia. ****

The wings of the Cryphia ochsi have a pale green to gray basal region, well distinct from the rest of the wings which can vary greatly in coloring. A patch of the same color as the basal region is present in the region postdiscal along the internal margin, and does not exceed the anal area in width. **
An orbicular spot occupies the median and cubital areas, bounded outwards by a dark line partly parallel to the sub marginal region, this line is internally ill defined. A dark line is visible along the margin.

The hind wings are brown in color, paler in the basal region. All wings are fringed. thermophilic moth, likes low-altitude river forests, but also hot and dry mid-mountain forests. ***
Adults are visible in a single generation from May to August. It can be distinguished from the related species Cryphia algae only by dissection of the genitals therefore the cfr. is mandatory.

The larvae feeds on lichen on tree bark, mainly Quercus sp. (Oak tree).


* 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.113
**** (Krasnodar; POLTAVSKY & NEKRASOV 2002).