Cybosia is a monotypic genus of moth in the subfamily Arctiinae erected by Jacob Hübner in 1819. Its only species, Cybosia mesomella, the four-dotted footman, was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae."Four-dotted Footman Cybosia mesomella (Linnaeus, 1758) ". BioLib.cz. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
Forms Cybosia mesomella f. flava (yellow) Cybosia mesomella f. albescens (ivory colored) Günter Ebert (Hrsg.): Die Schmetterlinge Baden-Württembergs Band 5, Nachtfalter III (Sesiidae, Arctiidae, Noctuidae). Ulmer Verlag Stuttgart 1997.
Description The wingspan is 25–33 mm.Hantsmoths The basic colour of the forewings may be yellow or ivory greyish with yellow borders. The forewings show in the middle four small black dots (hence the common name of this species). The hindwings are grey, sometimes with yellowish edges. The thorax and the abdomen are whitish, covered with fine hairs.
Biology
This species has one generation per year. Females lay eggs in early July on the larval food plants. The eggs hatch in August or early September. The larvae overwinter and pupate the following spring, from May up to the beginning of June. The moths fly at dusk from June to mid-August depending on location. The larvae feed mainly after dark on low vegetation such as heather, willows, Leontodon autumnalis and Vaccinium uliginosum. They are lichen and algae feeders like most other lithosiines.Paolo Mazzei, Daniel Morel, Raniero Panfili Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa
Distribution This species can be found in most of Europe except Spain, in the east Palearctic realm and in the Near East.Fauna Europaea
Habitat Cybosia mesomella prefers warm, moist and sunny environment, deciduous and mixed forests, heaths, moorland, damp grassland, fens, wet meadows and open woodlands.
References
Witt, T.J. & L. Ronkay, 2011: Lymantriinae and Arctiinae - Including Phylogeny and Check List of the Quadrifid Noctuoidea of Europe. Noctuidae Europaeae Volume 13: 1–448.
External links
Lepiforum e.V.