66.003 Malacosoma (Trichodia) neustria (Lackey)
fw: m13-16mm, f16-21mm; Jul-Aug; broadleaved trees and shrubs, mainly rosaceous; common in England & Wales, local in S.Scotland
Malacosoma neustria (Lackey) §3 male
ID: colour varies from pale yellow to reddish-brown; two cross-lines on forewing with no white central spot; fringes chequered.
Very similar to M.castrensis (Ground Lackey); the following features can be used to distinguish these species.
Very similar to M.castrensis (Ground Lackey); the following features can be used to distinguish these species.
- Habitat: M.castrensis is confined to saltmarsh and coastal shingle in SE.England.
- First cross-line: In M.neustria more or less parallel with second cross-line; in M.castrensis the first cross-line is kinked in its costal half so that the median fascia has a corresponding narrowing (this being much less obvious in the female), and the dorsal portion of the first cross-line curves towards the wing base.
- Forewing fringes: In M.neustria chequered brown and yellowish, in M.castrensis chequered brown and buff showing less contrast.
- Hindwing colour: In M.neustria either concolorous with the forewing or paler; in M.castrensis either concolorous or darker.
- Hindwing fringes: In M.neustria darker than the wing; in M.castrensis paler than the wing. (It may be more accurate to say that the hindwing fringes are not chequered and darker than the wing in M.neustria and chequered with the paler colour paler than the wing and the darker colour concolorous with the wing in M.castrensis - more work needed).
§1 Westclif-on-sea, Essex; 05/07/2008; male
§2 Foulness, Essex; 06/07/2008; male
§3 Foulness, Essex; 06/07/2008; male
§4 Foulness, Essex; 13/07/2008; male
§5 Foulness, Essex; 27/06/2010; male
§6 Foulness, Essex; 24/08/2019; male; fw 12.3mm
§7 Orlestone Forest, Kent; 07/07/2019; male; fw 14.2mm
§8 Foulness, Essex; 23/07/2022; female; fw 22.2mm
§9 Foulness, Essex; 23/07/2022; female; fw 20.8mm
§10 Foulness, Essex; 23/07/2022; female
All images © Chris Lewis
§2 Foulness, Essex; 06/07/2008; male
§3 Foulness, Essex; 06/07/2008; male
§4 Foulness, Essex; 13/07/2008; male
§5 Foulness, Essex; 27/06/2010; male
§6 Foulness, Essex; 24/08/2019; male; fw 12.3mm
§7 Orlestone Forest, Kent; 07/07/2019; male; fw 14.2mm
§8 Foulness, Essex; 23/07/2022; female; fw 22.2mm
§9 Foulness, Essex; 23/07/2022; female; fw 20.8mm
§10 Foulness, Essex; 23/07/2022; female
All images © Chris Lewis
Page published 05/11/2014 (§1-5) | §6 added 09/09/2019 | §7 added 31/01/2020
