Amphipoea fucosa
Amphipoea fucosa, the saltern ear moth, is a moth of the superfamily Noctuoidea, found in Europe. It was described in 1830, by the German entomologist Christian Friedrich Freyer, from two type specimen found in Sligo, Ireland and Deal, Kent. It is one of four species that are difficult to tell apart, requiring the examination of the genitalia. The larvae feed in the stems and roots of grasses.
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Description
The wingspan is 29–35 mm. It resembles the ear moth but is larger. The moth is univoltine, flying in August and September. At night it can be found at flowering ragwort, marram grass and rushes and also comes to light.The moth overwinters as an egg, and larvae can be found from May to June, where they feed in the stems and roots of various grasses. In the wild they have been found on common saltmarsh grass and accept cock's-foot and annual meadow grass in captivity. Pupation takes about a month, in the soil by a root.
Similar species
Requiring genitalic examination See Townsend et al.,- Crinan ear
- ear moth
- large ear
- a hybrid between the saltern ear and the large ear has been recorded in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland.