MaltaWildplants.com FORUM

Hi people,
Do you know where I can find Festuca ovina (Sheep's Fescue) in Malta please? This plant is from the Poaceae family. It seems to be a very common plant all around Europe & the Mediterranean but not in Malta!

Any replies would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks people.
Regards
Jonathan

No problem Conchiolin. I got the message
Thanks a lot.

Hi there,
It's the larva of Lasiocampa trifolii, a common moth that flies during the first weeks of October. The larvae feed on Gramineae, Festuca ovina, F. polesica, Elymus arenarius, Vicia cracca, Calluna vulgaris
Jonathan

Hi,
Definitely it's a male Gegenes pumilio. This is the only recorded skipper in Malta till now. The markings of G. nostrodamus are different.
Well done for the photo. I really like it
Jonathan

Hi Stephen,
I hope you answer the following question with a yes...I really do!!
Question:
Did you photograph this Maniola jurtina in Malta (not Gozo I intend)?
Thanks
Jonathan.

Hi Conchiolin, To be sure that you have a torrida and not an algira, you can also compare the size of the specimens. D. torrida is always somewhat bigger than the algira. Just remember that sometimes the marking of both species is not enough to distinguish one from the other. Breeding it is a ...

Hi there,
The larvae is that of Utetheisa pulchella (Linnaeus, 1758)a beautiful moth species which normally migrates during Autumn and its larvae is fond of Borago

btw. the photo is great

Dear all, It's been a long time since I posted my last comments....very busy period right now. The larvae is that of a Cucullia calendulae (Treitschke, 1835) a common species which flies between October and April. It's food plants are Calendula, Ormenis, Achillea, Anthemis . The larva in the photo ...

Hi folks, This time here is a small moth which flies both during the day and night. Species : Hymenia recurvalis (Fabricius, 1775) Family : Pyralidae Subfamily : Pyraustinae Common Name : No common name. Maltese Name : Spoladea Flight period: Sep - Oct in 1 generation. Distribution : Denmark ...

Hi folks, Here is a beauty of a moth for you to enjoy: Species : Cymbalophora pudica (Esper, [1785]) Family : Arctiidae Subfamily : Arctiinae Common Name : The Mediterranean Tiger Moth Maltese Name : Iż-Żarżur Flight period: Sep - Oct in 1 generation. Distribution : Spain, Portugal, Italy, S ...

Hi Conchiolin,

Yes, there are breeding cages made from light soft nets for these things. Glass jars are sometimes useful as well, as long as there are holes in the lid to allow the air inside the jar to go in and out. However, the most important thing in breeding insects is patience.

Hi Conchiolin, The moth is a Pandesma robusta . Here is it's profile: Species : Pandesma robusta (Walker, 1858) Family : Noctuidae Subfamily : Catocalinae Common Name : (No common name) Flight period : Apr & Jun - Dec in 2 generations. Distribution : Cyprus, Greece, Crete, Turkey, Sicily, Mainland ...

Hi people, Sorry for being late. Davdand identified both species correctly. :o GREAT!!. From this post onwards I will start giving a brief summary of the moths/butterflies you photograph. Like this it would be more interesting for you to notice these insects in the wild, and hopefully even making ...

Hi Conchiolin,

The image HPIM3963.JPG is a Tyta luctuosa a very common moth during spring and autummn. You have accurately identified the H. undalis, not a common moth I can say.

Hi Conchiolin,

You are right. It's Sympetrum fonscolombi.

Jonathan

Hi people,

This is definitely an Agdistis tamaricis (Pterophoridae), that lives also on Tamarix gallica.

Check how much its larva is similar to the leaves of its foodplant.

Jonathan

Thanks a lot. It's a pleasure to help id Maltese leps (short for lepidoptera).

Here is the larva of the Clytie illunaris on the Tamarix gallica. The larva reaches a length of 4cms and is only active at night.

Jonathan

Hi people, Attached you can find a foto of a moth from the Catocalinae family - Clytie illunaris which you might encounter during the summer months on Tamarix gallica This moth is not very common, but it is not rare neither. So, just in case anyone encounters it, please threat it with respect ...

Hi Stephen,

The larvae is that of the Noctuidae Aporophyla canescens (moth). It lives on the leaves of Urginea pancration

It is quite a common species, but is found only in virgin garigues like Selmun.

Jonathan

Hi, With regards to the first photo (the plume moth), it is an insect that belongs to the Agdistis genus. Definitely it is not an Emmelina monodactlya because when the latter species is at rest, it wings are not held upwards but horizontally in the form of a T. If you found the moth between mid June ...

Hi people, I am new to this forum, and my speciality is lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) both from Malta and the rest of Europe and North Africa. The moth pictured by Conchiolin is a Hellula undalis , a very common species that flies during the summer. The larvae feeds on plants from the ...