73.298 Mythimna (Hyphilare) ferrago (Clay)
ws: 36-44mm (MBGBI9.1), fw: 15-18mm (Waring & Townsend); Jun-Aug; grasses (Poaceae); common throughout GB.
Synonym: Leucania lithargyria (Pierce, 1909)
Synonym: Leucania lithargyria (Pierce, 1909)
Mythimna ferrago (Clay) §3 male
ID: M.ferrago and M.albipuncta (White-point) both have a white spot in place of the kidney mark (the rest of the kidney mark is not usually discernible) AND no white or black forewing streaks. In M.ferrago the spot is whitish, small (and may be hard to see) and elliptical or tear-drop-shaped; in M.albipuncta the spot is bright white, round and prominent. In both species the forewing ground colour is brown of a variable shade and the male has a black ventral band at the base of the abdomen. M.ferrago usually shows a dotted postmedian line, M.albipuncta shows a pale proximal border to a poorly-marked antemedian line and distal border to a poorly-marked postmedian line. M.albipuncta has a smoky grey hindwing, M.ferrago has fuscous to dark grey hindwing.
§1 Foulness, Essex; 21/06/2008
§2 Cyffdy Farm, Gwynedd; 21/06/2010; male
§3 Foulness, Essex; 23/07/2011; male; fw 18.3mm
§4 Foulness, Essex; 04/08/2012; female
§5 Foulness, Essex; 28/07/2018; male; fw 15.7mm
§6 Westcliff-on-sea, Essex; 03/07/2021; male; fw 17.7mm
§7 Foulness, Essex; 09/07/2022
All images © Chris Lewis
§2 Cyffdy Farm, Gwynedd; 21/06/2010; male
§3 Foulness, Essex; 23/07/2011; male; fw 18.3mm
§4 Foulness, Essex; 04/08/2012; female
§5 Foulness, Essex; 28/07/2018; male; fw 15.7mm
§6 Westcliff-on-sea, Essex; 03/07/2021; male; fw 17.7mm
§7 Foulness, Essex; 09/07/2022
All images © Chris Lewis
Page published 29/12/2016 (§1-4) | §5 added 25/04/2019 | §6 added 28/11/2021 | §7 added 14/12/2022
